By Lamont H. Fuchs, Ed.D.
Scripture references: Psalms 118:17-29, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, Luke 15:7
I heard a quote the other day that rings true. “What was once shunned and hidden in the dark alleys is now openly displayed in our living rooms and broad daylight on Main Street.”
Dramas and movies about the tragedies of war and catastrophes of nature are sometimes entertaining; they might even be accurate and historically relevant, but rarely do they draw us face to face with our mortality.
Let us talk about real life and death that are relevant to us. Personally. Tragic deaths and tragic stories of death. The ones we read about – Are you moved by the deaths you hear about on the news? The car accidents, shootings, murders, tree fallings, drownings – I mean, even with all the deaths from hurricanes or tornadoes, floods, or those who lost their lives in the California fires. What about all those who died of COVID-19? Did any of those deaths come close to you? Did or do you know any of the victims? Do you have family or friends, or even a friend of a friend, who was affected by one of those kinds of tragedies? Did any of those deaths touch your heart?
My son and his family escaped the dangerous onslaught of a recent storm. They were in a remote beach house on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. But, if they had not heeded the potential danger, and if they had not listened to the warnings, and if they had waited just another hour before they left while the tide and storm surge was rising if they would not have got out and swept by the storm if they could not find gas…IF…IF…IF.
We all have someone we love, and when we see them faced with death, we think about the separation that will come from the death of a loved one, even if it is ourselves – it makes most of us sad to think about that.
And now we are getting close to home. The death we face in Life. The most intimate kind. Actual death – the kind that impacts us personally. Sometimes we face death when it involves a close friend, a loved one, a family member, or someone we knew at work or school who was here one day and gone the next. A classmate, military buddy, or an old friend or relative you grew up with. We know people who have had a close call, an accident, or hospitalization due to an illness of some kind. You know that whoever that person was, they faced death. Some of us may be facing death right now.
Dear Lord God and Father, with tears, I request that you inspire those who read and hear this message to repent and draw unto you before it is too late. I pray that each soul might realize how precious Your gift of Life is and how You are in control of every breath we take. Invite those who do not know You today to bring their Life to You and give You their devotion and purpose for living.
Editor’s note: Lamont H Fuchs, Ed.D. is the author of Preacher Spurs and Preacher Spurs 2nd Edition. Excerpts are published in the Cherokee One Feather with permission from the author. Both books are available for purchase from www.preacherspurs.com. The author’s email address is author@preacherspurs.com.
