“I’ve Been Wondering About That”

The closest male influence in my life as a young boy, other than my father, was my uncle Ed. He was an uncle only by marriage, having married my mom’s sister, but he was as close to me as any blood relative. I can recall fishing wth him on many occasions, for instance.

One of uncle Ed’s most-used expressions was, “I’ve been wondering about that.” He would usually utter the words in our family conversation when someone would ask a general question as to why a certain thing was occurring in a particular way. And, as I remember, he would prefer to continue to mull it over in his mind, rather than to make his personal viewpoint public knowledge.

That said, of late, I, too, “have been wondering” about something. Several recent occurrences have prompted my “wondering,” but I have to concede that what I’m thinking about could be something we’ll never be able to process fully.

The question is this: What influence, if any, does a life lived, have on those who remain?

My inclination initially was to think about well known people from history who, you might say, have “changed” the world (in actuality, that may be acceding too much credit). You can let your mind wander almost infinitely along that vein. In our current political Presidential marathon, for instance, democrats are evoking the memories of Jefferson, F. Roosevelt and Kennedy, while Republicans look back at Lincoln, T. Roosevelt and Reagan.

The Roosevelt-Churchill alliance during WWII is remembered worldwide as being critical to ending the conflict and bringing “peace”. But is the memory of the anonymous soldier any less important (like my father-in-law, who strung radio wires critical to the tactics of company commanders slogging their way across Germany)?

Because, really, I’m more thinking about a “Joe Average” of any culture. Even a “Nobody.” Does the starving child who is born and dies suddenly in Darfur or in India have much effect on a world that continues to spin its way through our galaxy, which in turn is carving its way through the universe, which in turn… You get the picture.

We as Christians hold human life to be sacred. So what does that mean in the context of those who live on in our world, galaxy and universe? If we believe that God created human life in His image, then how should we value and try to understand the meaning of the life of the poor child in Darfur or India? Or of Churchill, Kennedy or Reagan, for that matter?

I’ve been wondering about that.