As I scroll through an endless cycle of updates and meticulously filtered pics, I wonder if there is more to life. The thought occurs to me “if I died right now, would this be my best last activity?”
I think about death a lot. Not in a morbid way necessarily, but more in a curious wonder of what comes next. With a family and the celebration of new life, these thoughts only increase and become more real. My existence is now forever tied to those around me, sparking more urgency and burden. And while I have never prescribed to the Carpe Diem advice, I do not wish to spend my final moments looking at memes or sport scores.
There is a give and take to life. In a 24 hour cycle, you are sure to have some down time that plays out in the mindless activities of modern life. This is not all bad. We all need something to ease our mind – maybe even distract us. Yet, with the tragedy and faith that surrounds our lives and news cycles, we are reminded that our being is precious and can come to sudden ends despite our protests. When we think of a rich life, we must keep death in front of us, to remind us of eternity. If we are people of faith, this is to be all the more. Our entire mode of living is grounded firmly on a death and the life that made it count. With Jesus as our model, we see someone who was very intentional with their time, but also someone who was prone to humor, irreverence, and mischief.
In the Gospel of Luke, there is a story with Jesus and two sisters Mary and Martha. The latter is bustling around trying to check boxes and win friends with her successes (Martha leads a lot of churches today). On the other end of the spectrum, you have Mary. She was content with just sitting at the feet of Jesus. Not worried about planning or succeeding, she made the most of the moment in a very intimate sense. While there is a time to be Martha, when we look at the Gospels outside of this story, we see Jesus as more of a Mary. Unburdened by deadlines and rush, He is the perfect example of simply being. The sad truth is, there will always be another dish to clean, another bill to pay, another lawn to mow, and another box to check. These tasks remind us of a day when we can simply lay at the feet of Jesus who is the ruiner of plans and schedules.
Today, think of how you spend your time. Where do you need further balance? When caught in an activity, ask yourself “should the Lord take me now, will I be proud in my final moments?”
Do not be afraid to simply exist, breathe, and laugh. These are remnants of the divine.
Matt simon blog 