A terrible thing

Death is a terrible thing. It is the enemy. There is no silver lining.

In this scene from the movie Dead Poets Society (1989), a young student has just committed suicide. Just how awful is death? Well, here.....



Waste. Tragedy. The end result of living without hope. It was true for Neil, and today we saw it as the the life of Robin Williams ended.

There is a deep, sad, irony in watching this movie now. We see Williams' character trying to come to grips with the path that led his student to despair. And from now on as we watch this, we will not be able to escape the awful fact that this was a path he would one day travel himself. And we are all the worse for it.

Yes...death is a terrible thing. It is the enemy. There is no silver lining.

What's that you say? The silver lining is that it is a bridge to the afterlife, where everyone will be happy and where our dreams will come through?

I don't think so. I believe the Scriptural message that death is the end result of our rebellion and where the path of human self-reliance ultimately leads. It is a horrible enemy, one that made Jesus weep with sorrow and anger at the grave of his friend Lazarus.

But it is an enemy that he defeated. When the Messiah Jesus rose from the grave, he took away its awfulness. He robbed it of its debilitating power. And he created the hope that for his followers it would not have the final say.

Death has robbed us of a great talent today. We will miss his humor and ability to make a story come alive; those who knew him well will miss so much more.

Death, you stink.

But you. Are. Done.

A shimmer of light

Have you all seen the CBS video of the woman from Moore,Oklahoma who survived the absolute leveling of her house, but whose dog was somewhere in the rubble? If you haven't check it out:

What an amazing thing! I know that so many people were lost in the storm and, well, it's just a dog. But still... As a dog owner it brought tears to my eyes to see someone who thought she had lost her only companion and discovered, live on camera, that her dog was okay. This dog has a purpose in God's creation, and I believe it is to bring comfort to this woman who had just lost everything.

This is a just a glimpse, a shimmer, of the surprises that await us who choose to follow Jesus. Just when everything is at its worst, the Father comes along beside us. He doesn't take away the pain (yet), but he does  give us what we need to endure it. And then one day, when things are at their darkest, when we face the ultimate enemy death, a wonderful treat is in store. Eternity in his presence, in our restored creation where the rubble of this decaying world is made new.

Finding her dog brought this woman a glimmer of light in the darkness of destruction. How much more grand it will be when we see the true Light.

We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog post...

I had intended to post something different tonight. But it can wait. Because one of the icons of our generation has passed on, and it is only appropriate to pause...and mourn...and pay our respects.

Some 25 years ago I was thinking of buying a personal computer - a radical idea at the time. I walked into the house of my friends Sam and Steve (twins) and they showed me their computer - a product of the company founded by Steve Jobs. Apple.

It was a cool device with all sorts of graphical capabilities, but I ultimately decided to get a PC. I think it was mostly because of the spreadsheet program, something outdated called Symphony. While PC's served me well over the years, there was something missing; I think was at least partially the "cool" factor.

Over the next few years Apple got its butt kicked by Microsoft, until the early 2000s when Mr. Jobs got involved again and the world has not been the same. When I got my first iPod, I had never - never - owned a device as cool as that. All my music with me...al the time. You know the rest...music, videos, downloaded movies, the iPhone, and most recently the iPad.

And yes, after years of owning PCs, I finally got a Macbook, I would not go back for anything.

So as I sit here typing this post on said Macbook, I think back a few hours to when I got the news of Steve Jobs' death...on my iPhone. President Obama said it very well earlier this evening:

And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.

Like I did.

Goodbye Steve Jobs. We are grateful and we will miss you.

April 27, 2011

A date that will be remembered in Alabama for decades.

Today a storm system of almost unbelievable magnitude moved through our state. As I write this, it is still moving, and the damage is incredible. People have died and homes have been destroyed.

Most of the damage to this point seems to be focused in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. And that's why this blog post is so personal to me. As a powerful, powerful tornado blew through T-town, my thoughts and prayers were focused on loved ones and friends there. Three nieces (whom I have written about often on this site) are students there and prayers for their safety were paramount at around 5:00. Text and social media helped me stay updated. It was a scary time.

The images and reports that are being posted now emphasize that it was indeed that bad. Check out this link to video of damage from the corner of McFarland and 15th in Tuscaloosa. If you know the area like I do, these images are hard to take in.

Incredible.

So I am am flooded with a mixture of thoughts and emotions:

• I was reminded of what it's like to be scared for people I love.
• I am so thankful that they escaped the wrath of the tornado.
• My heart is heavy for those who were not so fortunate. Those who lost their homes, their businesses, their lives, and lives of people they love.

It is a sad day in our state, and a day that should remind us how much we need each other. May those who are about to have to put their lives back together feel God's love. And may the rest of us be the ones to make that happen.

A tragic night close to home

Life is short.  And fragile.  Fire is hot.  And spreads fast.

Tonight, after a late evening at work, I stopped by my Dad's house for a few minutes.  As I was walking to my car, I heard sirens begin to sound.  To my surprise, they got louder and louder,  until I saw the fire medic truck turn onto his street and race past me.  And then, it made the right turn from that street onto the one where I live.

Well, I jumped in my car and followed it (well, not really followed - it was a coincidence that we were going in the same direction).  Again, I was shocked when it stopped in front of my house.  All I could tell at first was that there was an emergency of some sort across the street.

The next few minutes are now a blur.  I was headed home to meet my friends Clark and Brian to catch a bite to eat and perhaps a movie.  It turns out, they were there before me.  And then there was a fire truck.  And another.  And still another.  Then I saw a blaze streaming out of the front door of the house.  Pretty soon there were at least five fire trucks, police, and a street full of neighbors.  As it turns out, tragically, a raging fire claimed the life of a man whom lived just across the street from me.  Here is a link to the account from WAKA, including video.

As we gathered on the street, I began to piece together what had happened.  And then I saw Clark and Brian and began to talk to them.  It turns out that they had arrived before almost anyone knew what was going on.  They saw the fire and were beckoned to help by one of the residents of the house.  They tried.  They tried mightily.  But the flames were too hot and they could not get inside.  By then it probably was too late anyway, and when the firefighters arrived it was.

We stood there in shock.  I've never been that close to something like this, and my friends certainly had not.  We wanted to believe that somebody could have done something, but it was not to be.  The fire was just too hot and it was spreading like crazy.

I really don't know how to put this in words, but I had to try.  I'm know I'm proud of my friends and their heroic efforts.  And I know that's not what they want to talk about.  And so as we got away from the scene to try and process it, we talked about life.  And how short it is.  We all need to make the most of every opportunity, because we don't know which will be our last.

I'll never forget tonight - it's imprinted on my brain.  I am praying earnestly for the family whom I regret to say I had not taken any time to get to know.  I ask that you please do the same.  My heart breaks for them.

Fire is hot.  And spreads fast.  Life is short.  And fragile.