We were surprised to receive an invitation from Smokey and Patricia James to celebrate the life of young Judah who left this world about a month ago.
Judah's father, Pastor Smokey James is a dear friend and we have spent our childhood together. I know so much about what he was him but on that day I learnt that I knew so little about what my friend had become.
It is said by the Gurus and the Saints that we many will share in our time of joy but hardly anyone will be there in our time of sorrow. With a heavy heart we went with a few of our common friends.
In India we have a word for the truly spiritual person, 'Sant', born of two words 'Sa' and 'anth', literally translated into 'end of breathing' and to become unattached from the material world and to submit oneself to the ocean of energy and love which we call God.
People that submit themselves to God appear to encounter many difficulties and trials to other normal people, but, the spiritual persons themselves remain unaffected. They see it as His will and accept everything with joy, a joy born out of gratitude.
As we gathered and met with Smokey and his wife Patricia, they embraced us with smiles. I was embarrassed for I had a long face. Smokey explained, "Why should we mourn our loss of Judah when he is with our Lord in paradise? How fortunate is our Judah and how blessed are we to have had this pure, loving and angelic child so close to us for 17 years."
The entire James family went up to the stage and sang hymns, praising the Lord and instilling love, and surrender in our hearts. We sang along, the kind of singing that comes from the heart and not the lips.
Smokey then delivered a sermon which filled our hearts with love and respect, for we saw not Judah's father and our friend but an extraordinary man. A man much like us but who had transcended his pain and sorrow to make great progress in his spiritual journey.
Great sorrow can either completely destroy the spirit or make a person immensely strong.
The latter path is for the blessed for they become fearless. They have touched death and returned and come to realise that there is nothing but goodness beyond this life.
That day we learnt another aspect of life and death, and experienced a demonstration of immense courage which is born of true spirituality.
Experience is not what happens to us but what we do with what happens to us. May God bless the James family for they have surmounted their pain and emerged stronger and in doing so, have inspired us.
Judah's father, Pastor Smokey James is a dear friend and we have spent our childhood together. I know so much about what he was him but on that day I learnt that I knew so little about what my friend had become.
It is said by the Gurus and the Saints that we many will share in our time of joy but hardly anyone will be there in our time of sorrow. With a heavy heart we went with a few of our common friends.
In India we have a word for the truly spiritual person, 'Sant', born of two words 'Sa' and 'anth', literally translated into 'end of breathing' and to become unattached from the material world and to submit oneself to the ocean of energy and love which we call God.
People that submit themselves to God appear to encounter many difficulties and trials to other normal people, but, the spiritual persons themselves remain unaffected. They see it as His will and accept everything with joy, a joy born out of gratitude.
As we gathered and met with Smokey and his wife Patricia, they embraced us with smiles. I was embarrassed for I had a long face. Smokey explained, "Why should we mourn our loss of Judah when he is with our Lord in paradise? How fortunate is our Judah and how blessed are we to have had this pure, loving and angelic child so close to us for 17 years."
The entire James family went up to the stage and sang hymns, praising the Lord and instilling love, and surrender in our hearts. We sang along, the kind of singing that comes from the heart and not the lips.
Smokey then delivered a sermon which filled our hearts with love and respect, for we saw not Judah's father and our friend but an extraordinary man. A man much like us but who had transcended his pain and sorrow to make great progress in his spiritual journey.
Great sorrow can either completely destroy the spirit or make a person immensely strong.
The latter path is for the blessed for they become fearless. They have touched death and returned and come to realise that there is nothing but goodness beyond this life.
That day we learnt another aspect of life and death, and experienced a demonstration of immense courage which is born of true spirituality.
Experience is not what happens to us but what we do with what happens to us. May God bless the James family for they have surmounted their pain and emerged stronger and in doing so, have inspired us.
