President Hinckley's Funeral
It's finally real for me.
I rarely write about my deeper emotions on my blog, for it somehow cheapens them. A little bit of irony always creeps in. . . . And it looks like I'm still not going to get into all that.
Anyway I was in Encinitas when I heard about the prophet's passing. My grandpa got off the phone: "Your dad said that the president of your church died this afternoon."
Not knowing what to say, I answered, "Oh, I know one of his grandsons. He must be so sad right now. Should I send him a card?" I haven't, by the way (too weird—I don't want to send him a card just so I can feel like I've done something, just to give myself closure), but it didn't really sink in until I watched the funeral today.
I feel like little ol' me doesn't have the right to be sad that he's gone for now. His family does because they'll miss their father, but I don't. He was very old, and more important, he missed his wife very, very much. And I love President (of the Quorum of the Twelve) Monson too. His style is so different—pathos to President Hinckley's ethos, but his message about God and about love is the same. I know that Jesus Christ is the head of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I know that the Church will continue to do God's work on earth no matter who is the earthly president. President Hinckley himself, now reunited with Marjorie, will live and work on in a higher sphere. President Hinckley's many teachings will stay with us. The temples he built will stand for centuries. His genuine love and respect for his friends all over the world from all different faiths and backgrounds will (I hope) grow in the hearts of people in the Church and outside it.
I feel a little connected to Alwi Shihab, who made the first call of condolence to Elder Packer, because I saw him speak at BYU, and I would have spoken with him in an intimate Q&A session if his schedule hadn't changed. From his speech, I learned that he holds the same moral and logical sense of compassion and the same deeply held conviction that God loves all of His children as President Hinckley does. If this perfect love continues to spread throughout the world, then we, the people of the earth, will bring on the Millennium ourselves. Perhaps that's how the Millennium is supposed to work anyway.
Hmm, maybe I did get into my deepest emotions. Guiltily rejecting my shallower feeling of sadness is what's really going on in my head and heart. Maybe it's wrong, but that's how I feel.
I rarely write about my deeper emotions on my blog, for it somehow cheapens them. A little bit of irony always creeps in. . . . And it looks like I'm still not going to get into all that.
Anyway I was in Encinitas when I heard about the prophet's passing. My grandpa got off the phone: "Your dad said that the president of your church died this afternoon."
Not knowing what to say, I answered, "Oh, I know one of his grandsons. He must be so sad right now. Should I send him a card?" I haven't, by the way (too weird—I don't want to send him a card just so I can feel like I've done something, just to give myself closure), but it didn't really sink in until I watched the funeral today.
I feel like little ol' me doesn't have the right to be sad that he's gone for now. His family does because they'll miss their father, but I don't. He was very old, and more important, he missed his wife very, very much. And I love President (of the Quorum of the Twelve) Monson too. His style is so different—pathos to President Hinckley's ethos, but his message about God and about love is the same. I know that Jesus Christ is the head of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I know that the Church will continue to do God's work on earth no matter who is the earthly president. President Hinckley himself, now reunited with Marjorie, will live and work on in a higher sphere. President Hinckley's many teachings will stay with us. The temples he built will stand for centuries. His genuine love and respect for his friends all over the world from all different faiths and backgrounds will (I hope) grow in the hearts of people in the Church and outside it.
I feel a little connected to Alwi Shihab, who made the first call of condolence to Elder Packer, because I saw him speak at BYU, and I would have spoken with him in an intimate Q&A session if his schedule hadn't changed. From his speech, I learned that he holds the same moral and logical sense of compassion and the same deeply held conviction that God loves all of His children as President Hinckley does. If this perfect love continues to spread throughout the world, then we, the people of the earth, will bring on the Millennium ourselves. Perhaps that's how the Millennium is supposed to work anyway.
Hmm, maybe I did get into my deepest emotions. Guiltily rejecting my shallower feeling of sadness is what's really going on in my head and heart. Maybe it's wrong, but that's how I feel.
posted by Bethylene at 12:37
1 Comments:
Trying to think of some eloquent, profound things to say. Really, the few women in my life have already written me into obsolescence...
I am not often moved by contemporary thought, but for the fourth time in six days, I have been given pause to reflect on the meaning of It All.
Thank You
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