Today’s
Scripture Reading (December 27, 2018): Deuteronomy 34
Inspirational writer Shannon
Adler argues that our goal should be to “Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the
stories they share about you.” The reality is that those who have made an
impact on my life are not remembered
because their name exists on a stone somewhere. They are remembered because of the difference that they made in my life.
It is not that tombstones don’t serve a purpose. There are people who I do
remember only because of the tombstone. For me, at least, it is exciting to
walk up to a tombstone with a name carved on it that I recognize as being part
of my own ancestry. But these are people
that I did not know; people who died before I existed. But for those who I knew
and had a relationship, these people are alive in my heart. I tell their
stories. For the really important ones, like my grandparents, my mother and father-in-law,
and my brother-in-law, there is seldom a day that passes when I do not have a
moment of remembrance. Something will happen, and I will see my Grandpa Baker
striding confidently across a building site, or hear the clear baritone voice
of my Grandpa Mullen. These memories are deeply personal
and often explode on my consciousness without warning. The last time I saw their tombstones was at my
Grandma Baker’s hundredth birthday celebration in 2015, three years ago. But
their memory remains fresh in my mind, and the act of remembering remains a
daily experience.
Moses was not
going to be buried by human hands. Tradition holds that God would send an angel
to deal with the remains of Israel’s lawgiver.
There would be no tombstone that would bear his name. At the age of 120, he
would climb a mountain, and God would show him a
land that he would never enter, and yet a nation would possess this land
only because of his willingness to follow God and guide them there.
There would
be no tombstone. But Moses would not be forgotten. The stories of Moses would be told by a grateful nation. And those
stories are still told. Scottish Theologian described the “Ten Commandments” as
the universal foundation of all things and the law which makes nationhood
possible. The first proposed seal for the United States included a picture of
Moses crossing the Red Sea with the caption “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience
to God” referencing Moses opposition of Egypt and slavery as being similar to
the United States’s rejection of the British King and his empire. The Second
President of the United States, John Adams, actually told us why the
constitution of the United States relied more on the teachings of Moses than
Greek philosophy. "As much as I love, esteem, and admire the Greeks, I believe the
Hebrews have done more to enlighten and civilize the world. Moses did more than
all their legislators and philosophers.”
The stories
of Moses still resonate around us. And we do not need a stone carved with his
name to remember him. His legacy is sure, both in our hearts and in our minds.
Tomorrow’s Scripture
Reading: Joshua 1
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