Lenten Devotions

March 19, 2010

Re-writing Your Obituary

Excerpt from Luke 12:13-21

"You fool! This very night your soul is being demanded of you."

Reflection by Martin B. Copenhaver

During much of his life Alfred Nobel, the Swedish scientist and inventor, was best known for the invention of dynamite. In 1888 Alfred's brother Ludwig died while visiting France, and one French newspaper mistakenly heard that it was Alfred who had died. So they ran an obituary for Alfred Nobel under the headline, "The Merchant of Death is Dead." The lead line of his obituary was this: "Dr. Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterday."

So Alfred Nobel had the unique opportunity to read his own obituary. And he was horrified that his life could be summarized in such a way, that devising a weapon as destructive as dynamite was the sum of his life, that this, of all things, is what he would be remembered for.

That incident left a lasting impression on Nobel. He became determined to leave a better legacy. So seven years after his obituary appeared in that French newspaper, Nobel signed papers that stipulated that the bulk of his estate would be used to establish the Nobel Prizes, including, of course, the Nobel Peace Prize. In a sense, he had a chance to rewrite his obituary, and he took full advantage of the opportunity.

But, come to think of it, we are all writing our own obituaries by the way we live our lives, aren't we? Our obituaries are being written every day.

Prayer

Craft in me, O God, a life worth living, one day at a time, one act at a time. Amen.