Because of Gramma's passing, I have been thinking a lot about death and life. It has been really interesting having someone close to me pass away during Christmas time (this is a first for me although I am sure many of you readers have experienced it). It is such a unique juxtaposition celebrating the birth of Christ and the death of someone you love.
Random paragraph: I watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button last night, which is all about life and death. Watching that movie was a really good chance for me to reflect on both my life and the lives of those that I love and have loved that are not around any more. If you get a chance I highly recommend the movie. The really weird thing about this movie is that the main character was born the same year that my grandmother was born - 1918. Strange coincidence?
Well, I told you that I would be posting more selections from 1000 Inspirational Things. Here is one that I found regarding death. I love philosophy and this is a great observation on death from a unique perspective.
Although he is bordering on a more spiritualistic perspective than I would subscribe to, his conclusion is a very interesting take on the contingency of death if there is a God. I like the idea of thinking of life and death as "a progress of mankind towards perfection" or as some would call "sanctification." Because I believe God to be good, wise, and real as Plato posited as a possibility, I can think of life as a great opportunity and as one of the main lines in the Benjamin Button movie says, I can "let go" much more easily.
Belief In Immortality
By: Plato
When speaking of divine perfection, we signify that God is just and true and loving, the author of order, not disorder, of good, not evil. We signify that he is justice, that he is truth, that he is love, that he is order, that he is the very progress of which we were speaking; and that wherever these qualities exist, whether in the human soul or in the order of nature, there God exists. We might still see him everywhere, if we had not been mistakenly seeking for him apart from us, instead of in us; away from the laws of nature, instead of in them. And we become united, not by mystical absorption, but by partaking of that truth and justice and love which He himself is.
Therefore the belief in immortality depends finally upon the belief in God. If there exists a good and wise God, then there also exists a progress of mankind towards perfection; and if there be no progress of men towards pefection; then there cannot be a good and wise God. We cannot suppose that God's moral government, the beginnings of which we see in the world and in ourselves, will cease when we leave this life.
p. 186
Here is a slideshow that I created on powerpoint and was able to play at Gramma's funeral. I have not been able to figure out how to sync the music, but the transitions are all the same. I know most of you won't be interested in watching this, but hey, it's my blog and I know there are at least 3 people out there who do want to watch it. If I figure out how to attach the music, I will. Happy New Year. We'll miss you in 2009 Grams!
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1 comments:
Miah -
This was amazing at Mom's (Gram's) memorial. Grieving for Grams has been a surprising event in my life. Interestingly I took her very much for granted, as you know, had my difficulties with her, loved her very much, assumed she would be here for another 10 years even though she was 90 and I laid awake countless nights as a child and teen thinking about the day she would die scared out of my mind, have been sad that I can't pick up the phone and call her or cc her on an e-mail even though I hated to call her . . . grieving for her is one of the most difficult things I've ever done.
I can not tell you how much I loved . . . loved this work of art you did for the Grams that I know you loved without all the baggage that I had. I love you very much son. Thank you.
Please post on this site the exact music you used so that at least people know what went with it. And . . . this entire website is awesome. I love you. God will take care of you, son, and you precious family.
Mom
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