Liturgy: Timing and Striving

What is the King’s Liturgy? King’s Liturgy defines our experience together as a Christian community. It outlines the rhythms we celebrate with the Church at large: Scripture readings, Sabbath habits, and celebration of Holy Days and historical events.

This Week’s Lectionary Readings
Micah 6:1-8
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Matthew 5:1-12
Psalm 15

This week’s liturgy is contributed by Youn-Joo Park, Assistant Professor of Journalism:

Driving through the mountains of Colorado at night was a cinch, as my mind had memorized the twists and turns of the hills. What was unfamiliar to me was this strange urge that I should push beyond my physical exhaustion of being on the road for sixteen hours that day. My friend’s expression of love echoed in my ears, as well my bold promise to her on the phone: “Hang on—I will come!” 
 
The car exited at the base of the mountains and glided through the deserted streets of my childhood hometown at five in the morning. After the car rolled into the driveway and I had turned off the engine, the garage doors opened as if on cue. A family member was just as surprised to see the arrival of a visitor and invited me to accompany her to hospice care. 
 
In the critical care unit, I hardly recognized my friend as she was completely transformed physically. She was frail, emaciated, and gravely ill. Although she could not communicate, her gaze showed that she felt our presence. Within fifteen minutes, her labored breathing became sporadic and the nurse announced softly that her time had come. The sun rose as she passed into the next world. The sunshine that streamed into the room belied the sordid, earthly reality. 
 
Hours later, I sat in a park and reflected on her life of beauty. I also did a quick rewind of the past several days and marveled at the set of strange circumstances: (1) how the auto mechanics fixed my car just in time for the long road trip (after they had struggled to fix it for two days), (2) how I somehow pushed forward with the arrival at dawn, (3) how a family member chanced to run out to the hospice center at that exact moment (not a minute too soon or too late), and (4) how I was able to witness my friend’s last heroic moments and silent victory. It was only when I could do all this that my car died again. God’s timing was impeccable.
 
For me, the event reinforced the necessity of truly savoring every moment with others. After the friend passed away, some thoughts that arose were in the form of “ifs” – If only I could have arrived earlier…if only I could talk to her one more day…if only she could live one more year. This type of wondering is a natural reaction to a loss combined with a desire to change the situation. However, it’s important to accomplish that “if” every day, by expressing love, showing appreciation, and being thoughtful at every opportunity. I lost a dear friend, but her loving spirit lives strongly in my heart and memories of her convey lessons in this very short thing called human life.
 
We have one life to live. Let our legacy not be counted in worldly indicators of success but in efforts to understand others’ perspectives and to consider how we can be a blessing to each person who crosses our path. Loving God means to “love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 22:39), so while we live temporarily, let us strive every day toward the greatest commandment in Christian life: love.