Dear Folks -
This week in Ordinary Life I talked about packing for the big trip - the
one we all don't want to make. The trip is to whatever is on the other side
of physical death. This was a question I asked my dad shortly before his
death - "Are you packed?"
When we talk about death and beyond, we are limited to using symbolic
language. This can cause much misunderstanding because we have such a
tendency to mistake the symbol for the thing itself. But words like
"heaven," "hell," "judgment," and "hope" are symbols that can inform and
shape how we live in the here and now. Taking them seriously is a way we
have of packing for the trip.
Once again, thank you for all your expressions of sympathy.
Much love,
Bill Kerley