The Funeral

As I was walking from the library in Sterling, Kansas today back to my father-in-law’s home, there was a funeral procession that passed by on the street.  It wasn’t a large procession, about 20 cars, but there seemed to be several people in each car.
I didn’t pause long, but as I walked back to his home, I thought about the fact that these people suffered a loss during the holiday season.  I don’t have a clue who the person was or when they died, but the funeral was this afternoon.
I briefly recalled a couple of deaths in our family that took place during the holidays.  My grandfather died during the holidays in 1966.  My mother passed away in 1985 during the Christmas holiday season.  Each time, we had the funeral sometime, I think, during the week between Christmas and the New Year.
Death is part of life.  Funerals are part of living.  And considering one’s own mortality, from time to time, is part of humanity.  We do well to remember that we are not invincible.  We will die one day eventually.  Are we who and what we wish to be here and now?  Are we ready to give it up and let others take up the fight
And what about the God thing?  If there is a God and an afterlife, are we prepared to meet Him and deal with Him?  You see, if there is no God and no afterlife, and yet we prepare, our preparation won’t matter.  It’ll all end up the same.  But if we’re unprepared, betting all the marbles on no afterlife, then we find out too late that there indeed is a God and an afterlife….