Sunday, July 15, 2012

Legacy

Knight's Helmet
Wandering around the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has been exhilarating and thought provoking. Everywhere are fabulous ancient artifacts—decorated weapons, funeral pieces and musical instruments. 


I'm with my teenage son so viewing it through his eyes is interesting. We had a funny chat over a lunch about all of the intricately decorated weapons from hundreds of years ago. We tried to picture our present-day GI's with decorated weapons.....didn't work very well. 


Highly detailed armory
Items left from various ancient civilizations are odd—combs, dishes, weapons, jewelry, doors. Some of the pieces are common and every day; others are elaborate and only used on ceremony days. 


Legacy. What will last from our civilization in 100's of years? What will last from my family in 100's of years or.......for eternity?


Much of the carved art—small and detailed or massive—had to do with funeral ceremonies. The more elaborate it could be made, the better the afterlife of the deceased or the longer they would be remembered. 


Remembering and celebrating the ancestors was important. Without massive or memorable landmarks, the person's life fades into oblivion. Becomes meaningless. 


Funeral Art to Memorialize the Dead
from Oceania 
So what is meaningful in my life? What do I want to last? How would I want to be remembered?


...as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
2 Corinthinians 4:18


The only thing worth remembering about me or passing on to my children are only the unseen, eternal elements. Nothing else really matters. 




1 comment:

  1. I can't wait to go to New Yooooooork!!! So that's where you've been right? No wonder i haven't seen you in a while. I get you, leaving behind a legacy is honourable and all but if it's not eternal then it doesn't really matter.

    God bless you for sharing

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