Crossing the Finish Line
I find obituaries fascinating, not in a macabre way, but in a historical and personal interest sort of way. I am in awe of the way some people live their lives, overcoming tremendous disadvantages to achieve remarkable heights or demonstrating courage in the face of danger or adversity, when they could have taken a different path. Someone has insightfully said that “Life is God’s gift to us, but what we do with it is our gift to God.” When I read obituaries I am struck by the magnificent gifts some people offer to God.
Recently, I read of Rabbi David Weiss Halivni, who passed away at the age of 94. Rabbi Halivni was a conservative Talmud scholar who memorized large sections of these essential teachings and commentaries on the Hebrew Bible. His life knew significant tragedy when he and his family were imprisoned in the German extermination camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau. He alone survived as both of his parents and sister were murdered by the Nazis.
Rabbi David Weiss Halivni
After the war he immigrated to America becoming a respected rabbi, noted for his controversial teaching that Auschwitz marked the point in history when God withdrew from the world, leaving humanity to fend for itself. The only way Rabbi Halivni could make sense of the holocaust and to maintain his faith was to believe that God, for some reason, had removed himself from our daily affairs.
I understand why the learned rabbi would think such an unsettling thought. Six million Jewish people were slaughtered in the death camps for no reason other than their religion. Who among us has the right to criticize the rabbi unless we have experienced a similar horror? He has given us something to think about, whether we agree or not.
Eugenio Scalfari
The death of Eugenio Scalfari caught my attention, too. He was an Italian journalist and founder of the paper La Repubblica, a highly respected but controversial paper that politicians and informed readers all over Italy appreciated, regardless of whether they agreed with Scalfari’s opinions. After an interview with the pope, Scalfari wrote that the pope did not believe in hell. Unrepentant souls simply disappeared from existence. The papacy responded that Scalfari had misunderstood the pope, but when the pope heard of Scalfari’s death, he had nothing but praise for his longtime friend. I found the pope’s response intriguing.
Robert Curl
A scientist named Robert Curl passed away after living a long and productive life. He received the Nobel Prize in chemistry for discovering the carbon molecule known as “buckyball.” His discovery accelerated the field of nanotechnology, which some scientist believe will open the door to molecule-size machines. Imagine, the Star Trek generation may not be so far away after all!
U Phyo Zeya
U Phyo Zeya, a Burmese hip-hop pioneer, was executed by the country’s military junta a few weeks ago. He was only 41. He fought valiantly for democracy in Myanmar when he could have chosen a life of comfort and safety. After seeing first-hand the abuses and injustices committed by the military, he was compelled to become involved. His mother said she was proud of her son “who tried to bring democracy to Myanmar.” His life was prematurely and violently extinguished, but he will long live in the memory of his people.
Some of these people were born into difficult circumstances and had to fight tooth and nail just to survive into adulthood. Their achievements are a testimony to perseverance and hard work. But what I find amazing is that their stories, while remarkable, are not unique. Every day the obituaries tell of men and women who rose to the top of their profession or helped to make the world a better place, even though they started out on the bottom rung of the ladder. Obituaries often tell of ordinary people who accomplished extraordinary things.
Few of us will be Nobel Prize winners or gifted rabbinical scholars. Most of us will not have our obituaries printed in a newspaper read all around the world. We will live inconspicuous lives, loved by family and a few friends and pass away with little notice.
Please don’t misunderstand. I am not implying that if a person doesn’t achieve some recognized notoriety during his brief span on earth his life was a failure. The most important quality of a successful life is not the fame or fortune one might attain but whether one has lived each moment to the fullest. It has been said that life is a series of moments and to live each one is to succeed. To live each moment means to cherish your family, to live simply and selflessly, to be a lifelong learner, to take each person seriously and value everyday as a gift.
If life were a quarter mile race, then I have rounded the final curve, and I am moving inexorably toward the finish line. Crossing the finish line doesn’t frighten me. After all, death is a natural progression of life. Even the youngest among us will one day round that final curve as well. No one escapes this place alive! Someday I’ll only be a memory, as will you, and eventually even the memory will fade away like an early morning dream.
What is important is how we live today. Life is a precious gift and to squander it on frivolous and self-centered amusements day after day is one of life’s greatest tragedies. Live a life that matters. Choose a profession or way of life that contributes to the common good. Don’t measure success by how much money you make or how many people know your name. Instead, focus on improving as a person every day, becoming your best self. Be open and sensitive to the people you encounter on a daily basis. Yes, sometimes people will hurt and disappoint you, but don’t give up on people or your life will be less fulfilling. Strive to make the world a better place, more humane and caring. In the words of John Adams, “Do good and be good.”
Live a life that honors God by putting other people first. That is achievement enough and will be an extraordinary gift that will bring delight to your heavenly Father!
