David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” – 2 Samuel 9:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 12, 2013): 2 Samuel 9

My brother-in-law, Ken, passed away about a month ago. It is amazing how a death to someone close to you changes your life. Memories sneak up on you and ambush you in your unguarded moments. I am not sure that Ken ever really knew how much he meant to his brother-in-law – or that I realized how much I would miss him when he was gone – but I do miss him. Because Ken passed away just before Christmas, maybe the business of the season kept some of the memories at bay, at least for a while. But now it is January, the house has emptied out of all of visitors and the calendar is a little freer – and now the memories come close.

David has been riding a wave of events. He had been on the run, and then he had led the Southern Kingdom of Judah, he had been involved in the reunification of the country, established the military presence of the nation and then spent a significant amount of time trying to secure the boundaries of the nation, and now it seems that there is a break in the action. And it is in the break that the memories of what all of these events had cost him becomes very real – and part of the cost was the loss of David’s best friend and adopted brother – Jonathan.

And as he remembers his friend, the thing that he wants to do more than anything else is to show someone kindness in memory of his fallen friend. Part of David’s pain is that there is nothing that he can do for Jonathan, but there might be something that he could do for the people that Jonathan had loved. As long as there someone that Jonathan had loved that David could honor – someone that David could include in his own circle of influence - then a part of Jonathan would still be alive.

I will miss Ken. I will remember fondly the last time that I was able to spend time with him – and the nice walk that the two couples would take together. But I know that the one that Ken loved is still with us. And we will lavish our love on Tanis because she deserves it (Ken chose the love of his life wisely), but we also because we loved Ken – and we miss him.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 10