Death is more universal than life* everyone dies but not everyone lives. A. Sachs

Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life. Bertolt Brecht

When a person dies, two dates are recorded in many places * the date of birth and the date of death. Between these two dates, there is a dash (------------). Use your imagination and consider that this dash represents that person*s life and all that it has entailed. Its length is the number of years of his or her life. Somewhere buried within the dash are this human being*s life works - the accomplishments, the contributions to society, love shared and love lost, the pain, the joy, the character and philosophy of the person. Therein also are the person*s failures, bad deeds, sins, and remnants of sins that have been forgiven - what was done and what was not done.

Often, we feel that the dash is too short. Just a few days ago, we remembered the tenth anniversary of the tragic death of Princess Diana at the age of only 36 years. Nearly the whole world would agree that her dash was too short. But, was it too short or was it * by God*s judgment - just the right length? What about the quality of her dash? Was it not magnificent? She died while her accomplishments were fresh in our minds. The tragic circumstances of her death will not be forgotten. She will not be forgotten.

If she had lived longer, there might have been scandals, her reputation tarnished, her charities abandoned * who knows? We are only tangentially in control of the length of our dash by looking after our own health and safety. We do, however, have a great deal of control over the quality of it. The length of the dash is not as important as the quality of it. Remember this when a loved one dies at a relatively young age.

The lives of Beethoven and Mozart were short * but what lasting production flowed from them * what quality their dashes had! Jesus* life as a human on the earth was extinguished on the cross at the age of only about 33 years. His ministry lasted only about 3 years. His dash as a human on earth was relatively short * but oh the quality!

There is a novel entitled The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. A young man has his portrait painted and makes a wish that he always look as young and spry as he does in this youthful representation. Amazingly, he gets his wish. He lives his life frivolously and sinfully * even committing murder. However, he remains fresh and youthful while the portrait becomes corrupt and ugly. The portrait is a representation of his soul. Ultimately, his wasted life catches up with him and he takes on the corruption and ugliness of the portrait while the portrait is restored to its pristine condition while he takes his own life. You cannot escape your dash * whatever you make of it will eventually become you.

But, what is the measure of a person? How is the quality of a dash judged? Is it necessary to accomplish great things, become wealthy, find a cure for a dreaded disease, or become a celebrity? What about a person who devotes himself or herself to raising a family and does a good job of it, or is devoted to a religious life serving others. That person*s name is not well known outside of a small circle of friends and family; but, the dash of that person of lesser quality than a person who focuses on accumulating wealth or achieving fame or even advanced scholarship?

How is your dash doing? What are you doing to improve it? How faithful are you to your religious beliefs? Are you active in your religion? What about your children - are you spending enough time with them? What good deeds have you done to help others? How do you treat other people * with respect or with indifference? Do you donate to charities or help take care of homeless animals? How compassionate are you? What rules, principles, philosophies, and values govern your life? What do you believe in and do you live your beliefs?

Are you constantly criticizing others but never examining yourself? ( c.f. Matthew 7,3 *Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?*)

We can all change if we first identify what needs to be changed and how it needs to be changed. Then, we resolve to change it and identify a mechanism to effectuate the change. Finally, we undertake the difficult task of changing - which requires great determination and perseverance. But, there are great rewards for the successful completion of a great task and there are people who will help and encourage you in making the change.

Christians are expected to make changes for the better in their lives during Lent, Muslims during Ramadan, and Jews during Yom Kippur and Passover. The great reward is the satisfaction that you and your loved ones will feel when that inevitable time comes to go home to your Maker and the desirable destination to which your soul will go.