Today's Devotional Thought
November 08, 2010 by Rachel Piferi
Who Will Come?
As I sat at her funeral several years ago, I was amazed by the number of people who came to pay their respects. Distant relatives, friends, nurses from her nursing home, in addition to close relatives poured in as we mourned my grandmother’s death and more importantly, celebrated her life. And, as I sat there in amazement at the number of people who were coming to visit, I asked myself, “Who will come to my funeral???? Will my cousins come? Will my work associates come? How many friends will come? Will my distant relatives come? Does calling them “distant??? relatives indicate the answer to that question?
As I watched this 87 year old woman receive the respect of many people, I became saddened that society had changed and I began to wonder if I would receive that same outpouring of love and respect that she had received. It challenged me to read the research on this topic. As a scientist, I had spent years studying the effects of social support on health, but I had never really examined how people become connected or why they feel disconnected. So, I read through sociological and psychological studies of social connection. I examined theories of why we have become less connected in recent years. And, in doing so, I began to realize that society has changed. We have become both geographically and psychologically distant from our relatives and loved ones. We have become more focused on individual achievement and prosperity than on people. And, in doing so, we have slowly become isolated in this world.
Reading the research on this topic saddened me greatly and made me realize that many in our society are not living the way that Jesus intended. And up until a year ago, I wasn’t either. You see, it seems as if we have placed more value on careers, accomplishments, and worldly success than on people. And, it can happen quite innocently; at least, it did for us. You go to college, get married, try to establish a good career so that your family can be well taken care of, and before you know it, you are working really hard for worldly success and security rather than eternal success and security.
Jesus told us quite simply that the two greatest commandments are to love God and then love people. He was all about connection. It is through connecting to others that we experience God’s love and are able to make an eternal difference in someone else’s life.
As I recall my grandmother’s life, it certainly wasn’t filled with worldly success or prosperity. But, it was full of relational prosperity. And, I was reminded of that as I watched the number of people who came to her funeral.
As you start the week, remember that our connections to others should take priority over any tasks we have on this Earth. Model God’s love this week and take time to connect with others. Love God and love people and make an eternal difference in someone else’s life. And remember, it is people who come to funerals – not bank accounts, resumes, cars, boats, or houses. People.
December