Two Years

October 26^th, 2016 will always be a somber day for so many of us.  It marks the two year anniversary of the passing of our beloved priest and friend Tim Bannes. Such an amazing out pouring of love and sentiment followed that day.  Looking back I’ve never seen a funeral where an entire community came together like that to pay tribute to a life well lived.

For the rest of us, life goes on.  It feels a bit strange at times.  There was a part of you that you cherished and is now gone.  You try to fill it with something else, but it’s not the same.  You are happy that your friend is at peace in a place far better than here, but the human part of us feels slighted.  Something was taken from us.  Why?

It is part of our human nature to connect with others.  Our spouse, our children, family and friends.  A bond starts to grow that brings joy and comfort to life.  But undoubtedly, those bonds will break. Children grow up, friends move out of town, and parents pass away.  Why does God let us fall in love, just to have our hearts broken?

I think the answer is for us to appreciate the present moments, all while realizing that everything on earth is fleeting.  If I really understood and accepted that the things around me are temporary, it wouldn’t be so painful to say goodbye.  Everything in this world has a season, and that’s ok. We enjoy it while it lasts, and have hope and trust that new relationships and adventure still lie in front of us.

I wonder if this might be one of the reasons the church continues to move priests from parish to parish.  Just when they start to build bonds of friendship and community, they rotate them away.  Why? Because the church continues to point us to one truth:  The only lasting permanent relationship you will ever have is with God - not with your favorite priest, your high school sweetheart, or your first born son. This is a hard teaching, since it is built into our very being to love.  It’s the one common desire we all share.  When we have it, our lives feel full of beauty and wonder.  When it’s taken from us, a cold darkness blankets our days.

So as I write this, I’m thinking back on my friend. The red leaves on the tree in my front yard are slowly one by one blowing off and into the wind.  It was only a few months ago that they were blooming green buds at the tips of the branches.  I miss him. But in the same way I’m happy for my children to move out of the house and start a life of their own, I’m happy for Tim.  The natural progressions in life comes with a mourning of what was, but with that comes the joy of what will be.  I accept that the lives around me are passing through, and I will enjoy them while they last, until that one day, when we are united in the one relationship that will never end.