One weekend some time back, I attended an 18th birthday party, and then two days later, I attended a funeral.
The difference between the two events was very dramatic.
The party was great—full of fun, energy, eating and drinking. Yet, the funeral was more confronting. And as I reflect on these two very different events, I am reminded of the words from the Old Testament's book of Ecclesiastes 7:2, which says:
It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.
So yes—parties are fun—they should be enjoyed. But there is more wisdom at funerals:
they confront us with our mortality and help us clarify what is really important in life.
