Shattered Glass

Shattered Glass

Once we could see with perfect vision
Our view of the world through the windows of our heart
Each scene framed with impeccable clarity
Its different shades and shapes we could tell apart

Crack! The sound of fractured lines appearing on the crystal clear glass
From whence they come, no one knows
Disappointments that impinge upon our soul
Are stone-like encounters thrown upon those windows

Each stone inflicts an insidious mark
A chip here, a hairline crack there,
Over time what we see is a shattered glass
The world now with all its imperfections before us laid bare

Faith, hope and love...?
From which the glass is skillfully made with care
Precious and fragile elements
Easily shattered beyond repair.

Aren't they through which the world we see?
The eyes of faith, the eyes of hope, and the eyes of love?
The world appeared much better then
With these three graces sent from heaven above

Without faith, one can wax cynical
Without hope, one gets mired in despair
Without love, life loses its meaning
All of them we need, till heaven's shores we get there.

How different our view of God suddenly becomes,
Seeing God through our disappointments, hurts and pains
We frantically search for the piece that offers the best view
We've lost that big unobstructed pane

The more of the cracks we see upon that window
The less of God we see in our world
Our views fragmented, our theology shredded,
The reality of the world before us unfurled.

Somehow the imperfect vision is now with us
But we know when the perfect is come
We shall see Him as He is, face to face
We will no longer see in part, but the sum.

MT
30 July 2011

He Defeated Death

Here's an article I came across sometime ago this Easter, which I kept in my file for later posting on this blog. It does give us something to think about regarding end of life issues that are seldom talked about but yet these issues are something that we will quite likely be struggling with.

He Defeated Death


Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. (John 21: 12 - 14)

Recently, my husband and I attended a forum to discuss the increasingly controversial issues surrounding end of life decisions. The event was intended to approach the topic from a Christian worldview, drawing on the Christian teachings of the dignity of human life.

Most of us came expecting experts to delve into the ways we can ethically preserve a person's life in a culture all too quick to promote what Pope John Paul II coined "the culture of death." This aspect of end-of-life issues is a very important one, and it was discussed at length. But before we got to those topics, a local trauma surgeon gave the first talk. And her words sunk in deeply with the entire room.

She highlighted the reality that death is part of human life, and when it's a person's time, it's okay to die. She offered ways families can come to recognize - and find peace - when that time comes.

I can't lie - these words were hard to hear even though we all, deep down, know we are mere mortals. Nobody wants to die. Nobody wants to think about death. It is strangely easier to discuss heavy issues such as battling diseases or unethical procedures than to discuss the need to accept natural death.

Undoubtedly, part of our hesitancy to discuss the topic is fueled by our own sense of self-preservation and fear of loss. But I also think the topic is difficult because as Christians we celebrate life - and rightly so. We are people of hope, people who cherish the gift of life and the blessings that come with it. For centuries, Christians have been among the first to defend life and promote the dignity of even the tiniest, most fragile person.

But the trauma surgeon's talk about preparing for natural death does not run contrary to being people of hope. She spoke these words in light of our true hope: Jesus Christ. She highlighted that while we should not prematurely end our earthly lives - because, yes this life is a gift - there is eternal life with Jesus Christ awaiting those who believe. Our time here is a time of preparation for the fullness of life in Christ. She said (to paraphrase), "Natural death of a loved one or even our own is the time we are called to put into practice that faith we've developed year after year as church attendees, deepening our relationship with the Lord."

During this Easter week, we celebrate the resurrection of the risen Christ. Jesus Christ faced all the loneliness, pain, and fear that comes with death and conquered it. And as we read the Easter scriptures, we see that he did not disappear or abandon his disciples after the resurrection, but walked among them in his glorified state to offer further hope and instruction. So now, as we celebrate this profound moment in salvation history, we must ask ourselves: Do we truly believe He has conquered death and will never abandon us? As Christians, we can say yes with confidence.

April 29, 2011

by Sarah Phillips, Crosswalk.com Family Editor


The struggle has always been between letting go and holding on, isn't it? How we need God's insight to make the right choices when the time comes.

MT
18 July 2011

Kathryn's Memorial Dinner Photos

Here's a link to the album on Kathryn's Memorial Dinner in May.
Click here.

MT

2 July 2011