Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
so that we may grow in wisdom.
O Lord, come back to us!
How long will you delay?
Take pity on your servants!
Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love,
so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.
Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery!
Replace the evil years with good.
Let us, your servants, see you work again;
let our children see your glory.
And may the Lord our God show us his approval
and make our efforts successful.
Yes, make our efforts successful! [Psalm 90:12–17]

As you read this blog today, I will be just finishing officiating the funeral of a good friend. He lived life well and to the fullest. And he was gone way to soon. He did it right. From faith to character to hard work to leisure. And cancer still found him.

Read those words atop again: “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.”

Now go hug your kids or take that trip or say you’re sorry or read that book or forgive that person.

For your listening pleasure
Here’s a song I have always enjoyed with a title that is appropriate for my day: “Funeral for a Friend.” Thanks for letting me indulge.

Now that’s rather good news for today
The five-year cancer survival rate in the US has reached 70% for the first time, according to the American Cancer Society. The figure, based on diagnoses from 2015 to 2021, is up from 49% in the mid-1970s and 63% in the mid-1990s.

Survival has improved across most major cancer types, including thyroid (98%), prostate (98%), testis (95%), melanoma (95%), and breast (92%), though racial, economic, and regional disparities persist. Myeloma (blood cancer) survival nearly doubled to 62% since the 1990s, and liver cancer survival more than tripled to 22%. Rates were lowest for cancers of the lung (28%), liver (22%), esophagus (22%), and pancreas (13%).

The American Cancer Society attributes the rise to wider and earlier screening, lower smoking rates, and advances in targeted and immunotherapy treatments.

Here are some refreshing words on tomorrow
With a lot of books and messages on the Book of Revelation (some theologically balanced and thoughtful and others way too sensationalistic and speculative), it is nice to see a new and quite accessible piece on this mysterious and popular book.

Shane Wood’s “commentary,” Thinning the Veil: Encountering Jesus Christ Through the Book of Revelation,describes the “veil” between our world and the spirit world as real but not readily apparent. (Don’t look for a demon or angel around every corner.) While acknowledging the spiritual and extraordinary language of the book, Wood seeks to help the reader gain an understanding of the Kingdom of God in both its now and not-yet state.

While focusing on future things, Wood also drives home present-day implications from the text. Like these comments on Revelation chapter 5, where the Apostle John describes the worship in Heaven despite the tribulational turmoil on earth:

“As Christians, we need to remember that regardless of who wins an election, the four living creatures are still singing, the twenty-four elders are still bowing, and God is still sovereign on his heavenly throne. We need to remember that regardless of the political issue, we were never called to follow a donkey or an elephant. We were called to follow the slain Lamb.”

And then because of yesterday…
“The Church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the Church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.”

“We must learn to live together as brothers, or we will perish together as fools.”

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”

“Darkness cannot drive our darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Here is a link to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” King, of course, was a Baptist pastor who played a leading role in the American Civil Rights movement. Though known for his philosophy of nonviolence, he was no stranger to being arrested or to becoming the victim of violence (he was ultimately assassinated in 1968). The letter is worth your time. (Here is a very amended version if you prefer a shorter read.)

I didn’t know these facts about Martin Luther King:

1. Michael was his first name at birth. (His father became so impressed with the German Reformer that he changed his son’s to match it.)
2. MLK Jr. had a doctorate in theology.
3. King was jailed 30 times.
4. The FBI tried to coerce MLK Jr. to commit suicide.
5. King received a “C” in school in public speaking.
6. He was a Star Trek fan.
7. President Reagan was not in favor of the proposed Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

Our Tuesday Afternoon prayer

“May God bless us with discomfort at easy-answers, half-truths and superficial relationships, so that we may live deep within our hearts.

“May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people, so that we may work for justice, freedom and peace.

“May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war, so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

“And may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in the world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done, to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.”

[A Franciscan Benediction]