Life and Death

With the grip of Winter fading and Spring forcing it's way into existence, I have been struck by the contrast of life and death. It seems like even though they are very close together, one always takes the attention over the other. One of the things that has caught my eye is the trees with new growth along side the remnants of last year's glory.

I visited a local history site. It is a cemetary dedicated to 155 unknown Confederate soldiers who died in Chattanooga in 1862. Today, there is no sign of them except for the placard on the gate. It looks very much like any other park. Nothing there except trees, a couple of benches, and the birds.

Another contrast that I have seen is the contrast in people. One of my neighbors really stands out in my mind. He is friendly, easy going, and looks harmless. He is always in the common area grilling food and telling stories. He seems like any other older gentleman. Except for the fact that he is a Vietnam era special forces soldier. The stories that he tells chill you to the bone. He lives with the ghosts of his past on a daily basis.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

 ¹ For everything there is a season,
      a time for every activity under heaven.
 ² A time to be born and a time to die.
      A time to plant and a time to harvest.
 ³ A time to kill and a time to heal.
      A time to tear down and a time to build up.
 ⁴ A time to cry and a time to laugh.
      A time to grieve and a time to dance.
 ⁵ A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
      A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
 ⁶ A time to search and a time to quit searching.
      A time to keep and a time to throw away.
 ⁷ A time to tear and a time to mend.
      A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
 ⁸ A time to love and a time to hate.
      A time for war and a time for peace.