Headstones
When was the last time that you walked through a cemetary? When was the last time that you walked alone through a cemetary? What were the thoughts that went through your mind?
Last night, I walked through our local cemetary. It was just minutes before the sun would slip silently behind the mountains on the west side of the valley. As I wandered along the tree-lined path, my mind was set to contemplating what was around me.
Each headstone represented a life. Each one represented a person who lived, loved and died. Now, their representation to the world is nothing more than a small piece of marble, perhaps engraved with one last saying or phrase that would in some way represent that life that was lived.
Row upon row of these headstones were before me. How many people were represented here? What had been their hopes and dreams? What activities, what interests, what passions and pursuits had consumed the lives of these here? And what legacy have they left behind? Families? Friends?
As I walked, I noticed one set of headstones in particular. It was surrounded by a small raised section which I presumed to be of marble. There was an opening on one side, and encircled by this raised section were maybe six or eight headstones. This I presumed to be one family plot. While I pondered on this site, I was struck by the futility of man's actions in the light of death. What was being attempted here? Was it the attempt to keep together a family unit? Was it to try to symbolize what had been experienced by this family while on earth? Yet there remained nothing visible to my eye but a group of headstones.
My thoughts continued. In what are we investing and spending our lives? If the Lord does not return prior to my death, than what will my headstone represent? Will it be the testimony of a man who lived for self, who was focused on his own passions and interests and of a life spent pursuing them? What will that small piece of marble or granite say to the passerby with whom I had never crossed paths in this life?
That tree-lined path and the open plots of grass dotted with headstones was a reminder of the importance of our priorities. It is a vain thing to run after all the things this world offers. It is exceedingly empty to spend ourselves in the pursuit of self-satisfaction. This, to me, was the testimony of the stones.
It would be an empty and cruel thing if this was everything. But no, there is more, for we know Christ! We have been created for the glory and honor of God Himself. We exist for Him, by Him and through Him. For those who have repented of sin and acknowledged the saving, justifying, redeeming work done at Calvary, there is more than simply living and dying. Oh let our headstones be but a poor reminder of eternal reward! Let it be a symbol of hours spent in prayer, of Bibles with dog-eared pages and faded underlined passages. Let it represent money placed in an offering plate to further the work of the Lord be it far or near. Let that headstone be a memorial of hours and hours in the pew, sitting service after service under the teaching of God's word. Let it be a token of a life invested in others for the sake of Christ, and treasures laid up in heaven.
These then were the thoughts that passed through my mind as I walked last night. I arrived back at my doorstep in a different frame of mind than when I had left. When was the last time you walked through a cemetary? When was the last time you walked through a cemetary alone?
Last night, I walked through our local cemetary. It was just minutes before the sun would slip silently behind the mountains on the west side of the valley. As I wandered along the tree-lined path, my mind was set to contemplating what was around me.
Each headstone represented a life. Each one represented a person who lived, loved and died. Now, their representation to the world is nothing more than a small piece of marble, perhaps engraved with one last saying or phrase that would in some way represent that life that was lived.
Row upon row of these headstones were before me. How many people were represented here? What had been their hopes and dreams? What activities, what interests, what passions and pursuits had consumed the lives of these here? And what legacy have they left behind? Families? Friends?
As I walked, I noticed one set of headstones in particular. It was surrounded by a small raised section which I presumed to be of marble. There was an opening on one side, and encircled by this raised section were maybe six or eight headstones. This I presumed to be one family plot. While I pondered on this site, I was struck by the futility of man's actions in the light of death. What was being attempted here? Was it the attempt to keep together a family unit? Was it to try to symbolize what had been experienced by this family while on earth? Yet there remained nothing visible to my eye but a group of headstones.
My thoughts continued. In what are we investing and spending our lives? If the Lord does not return prior to my death, than what will my headstone represent? Will it be the testimony of a man who lived for self, who was focused on his own passions and interests and of a life spent pursuing them? What will that small piece of marble or granite say to the passerby with whom I had never crossed paths in this life?
That tree-lined path and the open plots of grass dotted with headstones was a reminder of the importance of our priorities. It is a vain thing to run after all the things this world offers. It is exceedingly empty to spend ourselves in the pursuit of self-satisfaction. This, to me, was the testimony of the stones.
It would be an empty and cruel thing if this was everything. But no, there is more, for we know Christ! We have been created for the glory and honor of God Himself. We exist for Him, by Him and through Him. For those who have repented of sin and acknowledged the saving, justifying, redeeming work done at Calvary, there is more than simply living and dying. Oh let our headstones be but a poor reminder of eternal reward! Let it be a symbol of hours spent in prayer, of Bibles with dog-eared pages and faded underlined passages. Let it represent money placed in an offering plate to further the work of the Lord be it far or near. Let that headstone be a memorial of hours and hours in the pew, sitting service after service under the teaching of God's word. Let it be a token of a life invested in others for the sake of Christ, and treasures laid up in heaven.
These then were the thoughts that passed through my mind as I walked last night. I arrived back at my doorstep in a different frame of mind than when I had left. When was the last time you walked through a cemetary? When was the last time you walked through a cemetary alone?
posted by Derek Linder at 8:23 AM
1 Comments:
Good thoughts. I enjoy cemetaries too, wondering about all the lives represented. Haven't been to one in a long time though.
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