"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise..."
- Hebrews 11:39
* * *
My friend and neighbor, John K. died on Friday afternoon, November 11. And when I heard the news about 6:30pm that evening, I was devastated. Yes, he had been unwell for a while. Yes, he had in the past recovered from worse afflictions and bounced back to good health. It was however, different this time around.
* * *
The Bible calls us to hope. To persevere, and have faith in things not seen..
"They were living by faith when they died," Scripture tells us. "They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on Earth."
This is how President Obama began his remarks in Eulogy for Reverend Clementa Pinckney who among others, was gunned down in a mass shooting at a church in Charleston, South Carolina.
* * *
John died of meningitis.
In worldly, materialistic terms, he died at the worst possible time. Having known the guy for more than a decade, this year was to be his best.
He had recently built a very nice house but had only occupied it for less than a month. For the first time in years, the guy had good cash running into some million shillings in the bank. He was looking at very steady, recurrent income for years to come.
All the planning and execution of grand plans that the guy had made in the last two or three years was only now beginning to bear fruit. In our view, 'huyu jamaa sasa alikuwa amefika.'
But all that was not to be.
* * *
Speaking with my sister about John's death, we explored the place of hope and making long-term plans when death can - in an instant - take it all away. Winni opined that much as there are no guarantees that we'll see another day, we each have a reason to hope. And to willfully do good things that will most likely benefit others.
The thing about not knowing when one will die is what makes life pretty interesting.
We know of people who have given up on life and extravagantly spent up all their money with the belief that they'll die in a few years... Only to live for decades in self-afflicted misery.
We also know of people who pass on at the prime of their career, or just after seemingly 'making it' in life.
This is because each one of us is subject to his or her own timeline in this life. In my view, much of what we do in this life is in fact meant to benefit us for a while, and others for much longer.
* * *
I have this poem that I make sure to share soon after I make a new friend:
"Each day is a new beginning,
Another chance to learn more about ourselves,
And to care more about others."
It is true that life offers no guarantees. But we can shape an uncertain future through our words and deeds. We can ensure we continue to have an impact after we die. We can continue to live for years if we seize the day and selflessly do things that will, long after we are gone, benefit others.
