Monday Morning Manna: Funerals That Made me Think

Three funerals in fifteen days, made me think. The first was for a friend from another denominational than mine, a Christian church with worship styles and patterns, some of which, were unfamiliar to me. It made me THINK, how strange, that our methods vary, yet the message is the same. Paul reminded us that even with our differences, “we are members of one another” (Romans 12:5). At the second funeral, I delivered the Eulogy. The most often heard comment following was, “I’m glad you shared ________. I didn’t know that about him.” It made me THINK, how strange that we spend our friendships unaware of so much. The Bible speaks often of close, intimate, friendships. The third funeral was for a ninety-eight year-old retired missionary. Children and grand-children repeated the same refrain related to her many years of exceptional service to others. It made me THINK, how strange, that while she certainly did serve others, that should be the norm, not the exception, for all of us to “serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). Some funerals make me weep, others make me rejoice, these three made me think. What do you think?

Dr. Dan Crawford, Senior Professor at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, is the WestCoast Baptist Association’s Spiritual Life & Leadership Mentor. Follow Dan on Twitter @DrDanRC and Facebook www.facebook.com/dan.crawford.