"We have no real rights. There is nothing we have to have. When you lose your friend, your lover, your life-giver, you can curse God and say, Why was he taken? why was she take? or you can say, Why was she given at all? You can say, Why is love gone? or you can say, Why did I even deserve a second of this life? God is creator and I am creature. God created me out of nothing and some years back I did not exist at all."(R. Rohr "Radical Grace" p. 208)
As an American I love to trumpet about my rights. I especially love when my kids tell me about their rights, and I remind them, half jesting of course, that they have the right to remain silent.
It is true that beyond food, water and shelter there is little I have to have. I am glad for my family and my friends, but when they are gone, I hope to miss them, though not despair.
Whenever I've had loss in my life, I've tried to go back to a place of thankfulness for the time I had with some folks, or the experiences that I've had. For me it beats constantly being stuck in lament mode.
All that I have, my family, my job, my health, the experiences that have brought me thus far, are all gifts from God. I didn't deserve them, nor do I have a right to them. But I'm sure glad I have and have had them.
Blessings,
Ed
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