Editorial November 14, 1994 Issue

Living remembrance— thoughts on life

Michael A. Seek

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington with all the names of the more than 58,000 fallen United States soldiers engraved in shiny black marble. The arc de Triomphe in Paris with its countless memorial plaques and the eternal flame burning for an unknown soldier. The New Guard in Berlin, as Germany's site of observance and remembrance with the oversized Pietà by Käthe Kollwitz. These three structures commemorate famous as well as unknown people who are no longer with us. Hardly any visitor to these memorials can remain unaffected by the atmosphere of these places. Many people are silent; some openly express sadness or grief.

Especially in these November days of special remembrance, it is well worth reexamining what life really is. God is Life, and this Life is not limited by either birth or death. It is eternally manifested in man, the pure expression of God.

If thoughts of loss and grief would force themselves upon us, we do not have to yield to these feelings. Instead, we can find consolation and encouragement through affirming the presence of God's love and realizing man's true nature. Man's existence is purely spiritual; it has nothing in common with a material, mortal concept of being. It cannot be injured or destroyed by war, disease, or crime, for the man created by God is perfect, complete, and eternal. The first chapter of Genesis states that God created man in His image and likeness. This man perfectly expresses divine Life; he reflects the divine individuality of his creator.

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Life is forever
November 14, 1994
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