We Resist Departing Earth, for We Always Need to Finish Something!
How often do we hear these words at a funeral: He didn’t have enough time to finish his plan. She left us way before her time. God took him before he was ready. He worked hard but never overcame his difficulties.
Then I saw this quote from Fr. Karl Rahner, a popular theologian known world-wide who is now deceased. He taught that when life ends our symphonies remain unfinished. Rahner loved stating: “No person leaves earth with a finished symphony.”
Rahner believed that no one dies have given birth to all she or he wanted to accomplish while on earth. Rahner maintained that a patch of emptiness remains in each person’s life they as enter into eternity.
At funerals we weep for these persons, because we feel sorry their predicament. Fr. Ronald Rolheiser claims this doesn’t mean the person fell short. Rather, it is a space, and all-embracing ache steeped in restlessness that cannot be tamed. It’s a hunger, a loneliness and a longing. It is what St Augustine described in this way: Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.
From these above descriptive words, we can see why we call this unquenchable fire deep inside us spirituality. What this flame helps us to do is live our lives to the fullest.
There is an amazing legend among the Norwegians. They claim that before a soul is placed in the body God kisses that soul throughout all of its life on earth that soul retains a powerful memory of that kiss and relates everything to it. However, on earth God gives life and as an extra, God gives us gifts to grow and help us live our lives to the fullest. Whatever that fullness is because it differs with each person.
The difference may look like a distinctive talent like playing the piano, living a long life, a sense of humor, being a successful novelist, or a successful financial wizard.
It doesn’t matter. What matters is that we share our gifts for as long as our life continues.
It can be the way we love our spouse, raise our family, or enjoy teaching others. God wants us to bring our gifts into our world giving light to darkened places, while giving meaning and enrichment to the humanity we meet. The greatest waste in our world is between what we are and what we could have become.
However, if we accept who we have become and are affirmed in this by the love our creator has for us while doing the best we can, that is all we are asked to do.
God simply asks that we try each day to become better than we are at any given moment. This is enough for God as we pass from here into eternity. It’s God’s uncomplicated plan of salvation, because God, in his love for us, came to save us and not condemns us.
God’s greatest work is to convince us that we can be saved if we just realize it. Often, we are the ones blocking God’s work from being done, because we don’t believe God is generous with his mercy.
When we believe and humbly ask, no matter how many times we mess up, God’s work gets easier. We are God’s biggest barrier to success, because we won’t let God be God. Remember God is the savior who saves not condemns. He wants you with him. God’s heart is restless also, because even God can’t wait.
