Funeral Day

A short bike ride later and we are in Canton, Michigan, just outside of Ann Arbor.  The weather was great for riding today so I'm a little disappointed I didn't get to ride any farther, but then again a short day was needed.  I'm here for the wedding of two of my great friends, Joel and Megan, and I am so glad to be among friends that make me smile just knowing that they are around.  Plus, it's the best possible break I can imagine at the moment.  Much needed, too, since Thomas and I definitely need a day away from each other so that we can forget what annoys us and remember why we love each other.

Because I had an under 20-mile day today, I rode pretty quickly.  I didn't ride quite as fast as I could have, though, because I saw a funeral procession pass by and I had to slow down.  Whenever I see a funeral procession I always try to stop what I'm doing and say a little prayer for the soul of the deceased and for the family and friends.  So I slowed down a bit to pray, but then I slowed down a lot when I realized how emotional a funeral really is.  One beloved person passed away and now many mourn.  Facing the death of one person is so difficult.  You've always known life with that person and now they're gone... I'm still not sure I've actually confronted the death of my grandmother a few years ago because it's too painful, and I'm sure that many people in that funeral procession today will feel the same way.

It's a somewhat known fact that people are more offended hearing about one or two deaths rather than thousands.  One or two deaths is personal whereas thousands upon thousands becomes a number, a fact, nothing more.  We've probably all experienced that phenomenon and yet I'm betting that for most of us it's still strange to acknowledge.  Of course, there's a psychological reason: our mind and heart don't necessarily think that we are capable of dealing with the pain of one death thousands and thousands of times.  I don't think it's necessary, then, to push ourselves to deal with that much pain.  Serving and loving the world does not need to mean suffering, especially not more than we can bear.  But I do think that we need to think of the 27 million slaves in the world not as a number, as a fact, but in the same way that we think of the deceased at a funeral: as one beloved person.

Take one person at a time.  Think about how awful it is for one person to be enslaved.  Imagine that one person and how sad you would be if one person died in slavery from mental, spiritual, and physical torture and negligence.  Imagine the sadness of the funeral procession for that one slave.  Then, find ways to prevent that funeral procession.  You don't need to take on more pain or more suffering to do right.