I have spent the last week at the Police and Fire Academy in Spokane. It is humbling to be in the company of all these dedicated chaplains, many of whom come from fire, police, or military backgrounds.
On Tuesday night we visited a crematorium. As he explained the various facets of his work, the funeral director explained to us what he does in order to make a body presentable to a family, especially in the a case of an open casket funeral service. I told him how his job was an important calling, as not only did he help facilitate an honorable goodbye for the families of the deceased, but he helped someone to say goodbye in an honorable way. I was a little moved by the statistics of remains that were voluntarily unclaimed. It felt to me like a cowardly act of revenge. The thing that a death proves is that a life preceded it. A life full of all the beauty and/or all the ugliness that a life can contain. Some lives may contain more of one than the other, but for the most part, all of our lives contain a bit of both and therefore, that honorable part, however small it may be, needs to be honored. Honoring the dead is the most unselfish thing one can do. Whatever we do for them, they cannot smile to give us that feeling of satisfaction nor can they say “Thank you!” And if that can give any comfort, that gives a positive way to have the proverbial ‘last word!’ We talked about something else that day. Whether for the Fire department, the Police force, or the military, there is an organization that helps to honor the life of those who served the public. The pageantry of the Honor Guard not only helps give credit where credit is due in honoring those who sacrificed their lives in the service of others, but it also serves in lifting the heart of those they leave behind. May we never forget to honor these honorable souls, not only as they depart from us, but also in their lives with us.
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