October 15, 2022

Grave Thoughts

Today I found myself filled with deep emotion while I was praying as we let the ashes of a deceased man go into the creation out of which he came.

The stylized prayer just gets my heart: "O Lord, support us all the day long of this troubled life, until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes and the busy world is hushed, the fever of life is over, and our work is done." I've prayed that prayer hundreds and hundreds of times. As I prayed it, I thought of my life, the lives of people I love, and the scores of people whose services I have presided at. I felt a deep sadness, but also a deep connection to everyone and everything.