Commemorating

Then David slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David. The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established. ~ 2 Samuel 2:10-12
I think all things, in their way, reflect heavenly truth, the imagination not least. ~ CS Lewis

Seven years ago, I went to Dallas to visit my best friend from high school. I hadn't seen her in years so was excited for the trip.

 As it happened, I was in Dallas on 11/22/13 - a day observed by the city (and the nation) as the 50th anniversary of one of our darkest national memories: the day John F. Kennedy, Jr. was assassinated in Dallas.  The weather that day seemed intent to identify with the day itself: it was cold and rainy and miserable.  So, we didn't spend much time outside - and felt for those souls who did choose to mark the occasion out at Dealy Plaza.  

Instead we spent a good part of the afternoon watching the local coverage of that day: their ABC affiliate played the news exactly as it had unfolded on 11/22/63.  I hadn't been alive yet then so have no memories of JFK myself, but watching that coverage took me back nevertheless and made a pretty big impact on me.

In all the news that day about JFK's assassination, another commemoration got pushed to the background of the news. 11/22/13 also marked the 50th anniversary of CS Lewis' death.  I was pleased to see that on that day, his plaque was unveiled at Westminster Abbey's Poet's Corner.  

 Both men were commemorated that day in quite different but impactful ways.

 King David gets a pretty short commemoration in 2 Samuel. Surprising at first because he was such a large figure in scripture. He was THE King of the Hebrew Bible.

 The Bible is like that with most of the heavyweights of the story. Not a lot of gloss spent in their death. But David was commemorated more by the lasting impact he had on the rest of the Biblical narrative. So much so, that the Gospel writers made much of Jesus' tie to him.

JFK and CS Lewis also had a heavy impact on our world - privately, publicly, politically and in terms of faith.  In my own life, CS Lewis has probably had more influence and I am thankful for his witness and wonderful way with words.  Lewis has at times given me a way to frame my own faith story when my own words fail.

His impact for me was because of the Truth his lasting words reflected.

 What is your impact on this world? How do you want to be remembered in the great narrative of life?
Prayer: Let me life point to you so that when I am remembered, it is for bearing witness to your heavenly truth and love.

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