As he reflected on his life’s work, the famed author of Les Miserables, The Count of Monte Cristo, and many others, Victor Hugo describes what he believed about life after death, that heaven would actually entail a continuation of his life’s work:
I feel within me that future life. I am like a forest that has been razed; the new shoots are stronger and brighter. I shall most certainly rise toward the heavens the nearer my approach to the end, the plainer is the sound of immortal symphonies of worlds which invite me.
For half a century I have been translating my thoughts into prose and verse: history, drama, philosophy, romance, tradition, satire, ode, and song; all of these I have tried. But I feel I haven’t given utterance to the thousandth part of what lies within me. When I go to the grave I can say, as others have said, “My day’s work is done.” But I cannot say, “My life is done.” My work will recommence the next morning. The tomb is not a blind alley; it is a thoroughfare. It closes upon the twilight, but opens upon the dawn..
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Blowing Through Stop Signs: Why Keeping the Sabbath Is So Important
Have you ever been driving and inadvertently blown right through a stop sign? It happened to me recently. Anne and I were down in San Francisco meeting some friends, I was driving in unfamiliar territory and there were multiple 2-way or 4-way stop intersections. One...
Planning a Sermon Series
How do you choose what to preach on any given Sunday? Are you a… Lectionary Preacher? Occasional use of the lectionary, select seasonal use of the lectionary, or full-throttle every Sunday and any mid-week service in-between lectionary? Walk-Through-The-Bible...
A Soul Thirsty for God
It’s summertime, and here in Southern California it begins to get rather hot. And I find myself thirsty a lot. I’ll get out and cycle 20 miles and come back parched. It makes me think of these psalm lines: Like a deer that longs for springs of water, so my soul longs...