The End

I started my day having to do something no dog owner ever wants to do. I had to bury our 14 year old lab/chow, Jasmine. What a great dog! As I shoveled the last bit of dirt on her grave during a steady rain this morning, I couldn’t help but get a little emotional. The death of our dog was the sixth death of someone I considered a friend or fairly close acquaintance since my best friend Joe died on April 14. What a year this has been as far as death goes and I find myself trying really hard to make sure I am living and loving as much as I can. None of us know when “the end” will come.

On a happier note, this past Friday night my family was blessed with the opportunity to see Paul McCartney perform the first ever concert at the New York Mets’ new stadium–Citi Field in New York City. The Beatles had performed their first ever outdoor-stadium concert at the old Mets stadium (Shea Stadium) some 44 years earlier. All members of the Meyer family are Beatle fans and we all enjoyed an unbelievable, historic evening together. Paul McCartney is 67 years old and can still rock and sing like no other. He sang for almost 3 hours, did 2 encores and surprised us all by having Billy Joel jump on the stage and play the piano during “I Saw Her Standing There.”

One of my all time favorite Beatle songs is the grand finale on their last album Abbey Road. The name of the song is “The End.” The song has a pretty cool solo drum piece by Ringo as well as solo guitar pieces by George, Paul and John. This was the last song they recorded together as a group.

Anyway, Paul’s final song last Friday evening (at the end of the 2nd encore) was “The End.”

I thought about the last line of the lyrics in “The End” as I was burrying Jasmine this morning, “and in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make.” Jasmine took a lot of love to her grave with her because she created a lot of love in our lives. Then I thought about the finality of death…death is “The End” of our earthly life. Then I thought “am I loving enough?”

Although as Christians, death is the beginning of a new eternal life, God put us on this earth to do more than just live and die. He wants us to find Jesus and help others find Jesus but on an equivalent path, he wants us to love one another. He wants us to love unconditionally despite race, religious beliefs, sexual preferences, addictions, likes, dislikes, looks, economic class etc…sort of like how a dog loves 🙂

In fact in Luke 10:25-28 it sounds like love is a prerequisite for eternal life; On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law?” “How do you read it?” The expert answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your strength and with all your mind and, Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus stated “You have answered correctly, do this and you will live.”

What is your love towards other people like today? Does it come with conditions? If “The End” came about tomorrow, how much love will you take with you? Amazing what questions the Spirit can stir up by simply burying a dog. A dog that was obviously full of love. See you in heaven Jasmine.

P.E.A.C.E.