ALL THE LIGHT WE DO NOT NEED [R, 5-14-20]

“DAILY” DEVOTIONAL-Opening to the Spirit

ALL THE LIGHT WE DO NOT NEED    [R, 5-14-20]

I’m thinking that a non-funeral because of the corona virus pandemic isn’t necessarily a bad thing, for then people have less opportunity to say untoward things about the deceased, like this story that daughter Katie has threatened to use at my funeral…

A man is in his bed, dying. “Is my loving wife here with me?” he asks. “Yes.” “Are my loving children here with me?” “Yes.” “Are all my friends here with me?” “Yes.”

“Then why is the light on in the kitchen?”

Well, I grew up in a time and place and family where every kilowatt cost some unit of money we didn’t have. If we wanted to have necessary light tomorrow—to see to cook or study—we had to be sure we didn’t use any unnecessary light today.

Isn’t that the care of the earth? The care of our children and grandchildren? Every kilowatt I don’t use today is one they might have for tomorrow.

Our local energy company had a column in the newspaper recently about how they are working during this pandemic to keep the lights on. I’m trying to help them keep the lights on by keeping the lights off.

We need to keep one another close, in prayer if we can’t gather in more personal ways, and in the dark, when we don’t really need the light.

JRMcF

Another argument against funerals is the story of the old man dying in his bed upstairs and smelling cookies baking. He crawled out of bed, down the stairs, across the kitchen floor, and reached up for a cookie, only to receive a whack on the hand with a wooden spoon. “No! Those are for after the funeral!”