Oct 24th, 2020: Celebration in Solemness

 Post-COVID celebration of life planned to remember those lost during the pandemic | Sudbury Star

The stores seem to get ready for Christmas sooner this year. We saw Christmas trees and decoration displays in early August in Calgary. Maybe many of us have come restless in dealing with isolation and distancing from our friends and family. We need something to cheer ourselves up. Regardless of where we stand in our understanding of Christmas, it is still the time to be with family and friends. Many of us have appreciated the chance to be with our family more because we work from home. Some of us have struggled with not being able to see our aging parents. Travel restriction has kept us away from people who are dear to us.


Perhaps we need an excuse to celebrate. Some people told me this week that it will be so good to have a party. We miss the relational aspect of life. In many ways, it is a booster or vitamin to our emotional well-being. Some have told me that they feel lethargic by being removed from people for a long time. Some find themselves withdrawing more and more. Celebration calls for gathering together to enjoy something in common. Celebration with people is to tell them how important they are to us. Maybe the early Christmas preparation is our way of coming to terms with our need for God in this broken and confusing world.


Celebration is also a time for us to remember our life priorities. People have told me that they feel as if their lives are experiencing a reset. We begin to see things about God, ourselves, and other people that we failed to see before. That is why we have the urge to celebrate. It is also time for us to remember how we are loved and love. We feel the impact of the relationships we have with some people, and we experience that deep joy. That is a sign of a celebrating heart.


We come to the place where we know that life is a real gift, and we don't want to waste it. At that moment, our celebration of life also has an element of solemness. Many people have died in the last six months because of coronavirus, and many more will die. Sometimes we ponder whether it is our time. We want to be able to do more and to reach out to more people. Some of us need to be sure that our lives count for something. Celebration can be an outward expression of some amazing inward discovery of oneself.


Philippians 4: 8


"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

 

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