slipping out the back

. . .his master replied, "Well done good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things. . .
~Matthew 25:23

One of God's servants left this world and went home. Although this is a continuous event, it is always a time to take pause when someone you know dies. There have been a few close to me this year who have "slipped the surly bonds of earth" and have arrived on the other shore (the closest and dearest of these was the early-summer loss of my grandfather).

Two days prior to Christmas a dear lady that I had known from growing up in a small church past on. She was 93. Her life had been devoted to the church and to some missions work. Perhaps the world will never know the full impact of her ministry upon others (who, in turn, continually pass along the flame). What made me reflect on this particular occasion was what I learned about the funeral.

I was unable to attend the service myself, but my parents have told me of the details. It seems that there were only a dozen or so people that came to the memorial. This is partially due to the fact that she has outlived most of her friends and fellow companions in the faith. Indeed, only a couple of her fellow former-church family are around to even attend. As her life came to a close on this side of eternity, she simply left with no ado.

What a stark contrast it is for Christians who have given their lives away. Even for the well-attended funeral for my grandfather, there seemed to be a climax that was missing. Given the amount of life that he possessed and shared on this earth, it was a calm and quiet send-off. Our best memorials never seem to capture the vitality of our best examples of humanity. We can only do so much. . .partly because we are still seeing through a veil.

For them, the veil is lifted and reality has set in. There is no comparison between the services we conduct in an effort to deal with the grief and the homecoming party these saints encounter when they come face-to-face with love himself. It is not the goal for Christians to make a name for themselves here. . .all of that, the Bible says, is meaningless vanity. Our humility and servanthood bring us to an almost secretive departure.

We slip out the back quietly - having completed God's work through us - and walk in to a mighty celebration.