Life is brief
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Editor,
Crowfoot (1830-1890), a Blood Indian who became Chief of the Blackfoot Nation, when near death is quoted as saying, “What is life? It is the flash of the firefly at night; it is the breath of a buffalo in the winter time; it is as the little shadow that runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.”
Life is brief. Even though we’re living longer, life is very brief.
This past week I participated with a local family as they mourned the passing of their mother; they buried her beside other members of their family in Ronan Cemetery.
We sang together John Newton’s famous and loved hymn, Amazing Grace; a grandchild read the 23rd Psalm; prayers were offered; the oldest son tearfully read a memorial of his mother’s life; most significant of all that transpired there at that graveside in the cemetery last week was the exhortation by an older member of the family who spoke of the need for everyone to declare their relationship to Jesus Christ so that their remaining loved ones would not be guessing or distressed about where they had gone when they took their final breath. He spoke voluntarily, passionately and eloquently. As he spoke, I thought, here is a senior family member who knows that “life is like the flash of a firefly at night, the breath of a buffalo in winter time, or as the little shadow that runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.” Like Chief Crowfoot, he understands the brevity and uncertainty of life.
James, stepbrother of Jesus, wrote, “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog, it’s here a little while, then it is gone” (James 4:14 NLT).
Jesus said, “Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” (John 11:25b NLT).
Harvey A. Town
Polson
