Holy or Hollow

I missed the blog on July 1 - a milestone for Dad - his 95th birthday.  So many memories of spending time together on his birthday because of summer visits around the July 4th holiday.  So sad that this time I'm restricted from physically seeing him due to Nursing Home rules in this COVID-19 crisis.

Dad's lifestyle and genes have contributed to his longevity.   His Dad lasted to 102 and his Aunt to 110.  Most of my home video collection was during the years Dad was approaching his retirement (1991 - 2005) when he was 66.  Now I'm close to that age and as I see him in videos it makes me understand how quickly life progresses.  When you look back it looks fast with short runways and when you look forward it seems slow with endless runway.

COVID-19 has placed generational differences directly into the spotlight.  Thirty to forty years of difference is clearly identified in the infections and deaths.  I wonder what Dad thought his runway would be at age 66.  My father-in-law died at age 69 and that had great impact on me.   Even now I consider carefully what my next four years would be like should my runway end prematurely.

So many people avoid thinking about the end of breath in this world.  Yesterday was the completion of the study of Matthew with the Wednesday morning BC 715 (Breakfast Club at 7:15am).  We discussed Matthew 27:52-53 (bones resurrected) which the theologians notes reference Ezekiel 37  (dry bones).  Coincidentally Ezekiel 37 was Day 5 of the Daily Devotional book I am reading "40 Days with the Holy Spirit"  by Jack Levison. 

"We adopt compromised values that numb us to real life.  We accept practices that inoculate us from real faith.  We absorb distractions that derail us from pure spirituality.  We become ...... sarkikos: merely human.  Our longings shut down. We stop hungering and yearning for for GOD altogether.  We need resurrection."  Day 5 pg 17

COVID-19 is taking breath from many;  making dry bones for many;  exposing the values, practices and distractions of being "merely human".   How will you respond?    Holiness or Hollowness?