“The Best Things in Life”
Journalists are running out of words to describe the cataclysmic wildfires that have devastated Los Angeles and surrounding communities: Apocalyptic. Unimaginable. Catastrophic. Heartbreaking. Life altering.
Firefighters have been battling fierce Santa Ana winds and hydrants devoid of water. At least 16 Angelinos are known to have died, and damages are expected to exceed 20 billion-numbers almost certain to rise in the days ahead. The disaster has been a great equalizer. When you’re running for your life or standing in front of a smoldering heap that used to by your house, it doesn’t matter if you’re a rich celebrity or a working class 9-to-5’er. Whole neighborhoods are gone, including churches, schools, libraries, museums and pizza joints. Homeowners are in shock, mourning the loss of all their kid’s drawings, love letters, pieces of furniture, cultivated gardens, and keepsakes.
A few years ago I was in California in a community where wildfires had raged up and down the mountain slopes. During a worship service in the church where I was preaching a young mom invited the children forward for the children’s sermon. She asked them a poignant question: “how many of you have had to evacuate your house in recent weeks?” About a quarter of the kids raised their hands. Then she asked: “What are the things that your family put in their emergency go-bag?” All my life that has been nothing but a theoretical question. But for these people who live in the tinder box dryness of southern California. The Sunday school director then held up the three items she had rushed to save. The first was a large framed photograph taken on her wedding day. The second was her daughter’s pet turtle. And the third was her Bible which was filled with handwritten notes in the margins-a personal record of her spiritual life.
These were not mere things. These were irreplaceable treasures-cherished symbols of the three key relationships in her life: her husband, her child, and Christ. THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE NOT THINGS. The best things in life are relationships. We say we believe this. But often we live as if another two projects at work, or another two hundred dollars in the bank account, or another two hours watching TV will somehow make us happy. Inevitable we are disappointed.
Jesus said, “Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.” (Luke 12:15)
In truth, every one of us is going to hear life’s most significant evacuation order one day. It may come tomorrow or years from now. It may come with ample warning or dramatic suddenness. But make no mistake. It will come.
God will call us to step into the next world, leaving everything behind. Don’t wait until you “smell smoke.” Hang on today to your dearest relationships. And don’t let go.
Faithfully,
Ron Naylor, Chaplain