Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.
—Revelation 14:13
I have presided at the funerals of people who were unknown outside their family, friends, and church. But in those circles, they were well known for their love and commitment. Their exemplary lives made my eulogy a less agonizing assignment.
At first glance, the opening of Ecclesiastes 7 shocks us: “The day of death [is better] than the day of birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for this is the end of everyone, and the living will lay it to heart.”
In “the house of mourning,” we come face-to-face with what matters most.
New York Times columnist David Brooks asserts that there are two kinds of virtues: those that look good on a résumé and those that you want said at your funeral.
We defeat death, not by living long but by living well.