“It is right, and
a good and joyful thing, always and every-where to give thanks to you, Father
Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. Through Jesus Christ our Lord; who
rose victorious from the dead, and comforts us with the blessed hope of
everlasting life. For to your faithful people, O Lord, life is changed,
not ended; and when our mortal body lies in death, there is prepared for
us a dwelling place eternal in the heavens.” (Book of Common Prayer, P.382)
“For life is
changed, not ended.” Comforting words for sure, but when we lose to death
someone close to us or even someone who has affected our lives through her or
his writing or influence in the world, especially someone young and vibrant
whom God is using to make the church and the world a better place for all, the
crush of grief and loss, emptiness and tears can leave us devastated.
I share with you
part of the story of a woman whom I did not know personally but whose writings
and life challenge my faith while at the same time give me hope for the church
and the world. As a priest in the church I have, at times, lost hope, as I see
people’s understanding of God’s bigness and love get smaller rather than
larger; our understanding of Jesus’ commandment “to love God and our neighbor,”
turn into “if you don’t believe as I do, then “I am in and you are out.”
Rachel Held
Evans, who died last week at 37 years old was and is one of those people who I
consider to be a prophet. One who will continue to change the world and the
church through those who knew her personally and love her still, and those of
us who knew her only through her writings and whose lives are changed because
of her. Rachel leaves behind a husband, a young son, a young daughter, and many
personal friends who will, I am sure, continue to preach and teach the
inclusive and loving understanding of God and Church that Rachel shared with
all of us. Pray for those close to her who are experiencing profound grief and
heaviness and emptiness.
Rachel was born
in Alabama, moved to Dayton, Tennessee at 14, attended Bryan College there and
continued to live there with her family. She grew up a Christian who loved
Jesus and the Bible. As she studied and taught and prayed, she came to see the
Bible as more than literal and took Jesus words seriously: “love God, love your
neighbor, welcome the stranger, the foreigner and the oppressed.” She found a
place in her heart and in the church for refugees and immigrants, LGBTQ people
and people with whom she disagreed. She even saw a place in God’s Kingdom for
people of different religions and no religion at all. (To learn more about
Evans, I recommend The May 8 Washington Post Article “How Rachel Held Evans
really should be remembered,” by her friends Sarah Bessey and Jeff Chu.)
Even though I
knew her only from her books (Searching for Sunday; Inspired),
blog posts and twitter she touched my heart so that her death brought a
profound grief and emptiness to my heart. I pray for her family and loved ones
and I live with Easter Hope. . . .
“For to your
faithful people, O Lord, life is changed, not ended; and when our mortal body
lies in death, there is prepared for us a dwelling place eternal in the
heavens.”
