Yom Kippur, Communion, and the Death of a Cousin

How do the death of my cousin, Yom Kippur, and Holy Communion all fit together?

My cousin Randy passed away last week at age 42. Randy was disabled from birth. He was legally deaf, legally blind, and suffered from mental retardation. As a child, I remember that Randy didn't play like the rest of the kids did. As I grew older, I realized that even though Randy wasn't able to enjoy life like I could, he could feel love and love back.

I'm struck by how Randy's passing has magnified just how much his life has to teach me. By the world's standards, Randy would have been considered a burden. To my aunt and uncle, Randy was a challenge, but he was a blessing also. In spite of his challenges, flaws, and disabilities, they loved Randy deeply.

Randy was worth all the extra effort to my aunt and uncle. I could clearly see that in his father's mourning eyes at the funeral last week. Randy's parents loved him deeply, flaws and all. Witnessing that love expressed in the grief of my uncle physically and emotionally shook me to my core.

I think it is wonderful that this relationship between my uncle and his son truly reflects the way God views each and every one of us. We are spiritually flawed, spiritually disabled--retarded even, by sin in our lives. Sin mars us and makes us unholy and undesirable--yet God, our loving Heavenly Father, loves us deeply. In spite of the yuck in our lives, He reaches out to us, wanting to restore us.

God loves us and has gone to so much trouble to redeem us and restore us so we can have a right relationship with Him. I know without a shadow of a doubt that if my aunt and uncle could have done something to "fix" Randy's disabilities and challenges, they would have done so in a heart beat.

Wonderfully, God is able to fix us. He has provided atonement for us--atonement, redemption, and restoration through the death and resurrection of His Son, Christ Jesus.

My mind was drawn to this reality much of the day following the funeral (which, by the way was Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement). I was drawn to the fact that a price has been paid by God to "fix" my problem of sin. And then on Sunday morning, as we celebrated the Eucharist in our worship service, the reality of God's love for me seemed very real-very tangible. It was a special time of worship and reflection for me.

As I took the bread and drank from the cup, I couldn't get out of my head the love I saw in my uncle's eyes for Randy at the funeral..

Spiritually, we're all much like Randy--flawed, but so fortunate to have a Father who loves us in spite of the flaws.

We are fortunate to have a heavenly Father who can "fix" our flaws, if we'll just embrace Him.