Eulogy from Pastor Megan Smith
Words of Faith & Hope—Rev. Megan Smith
When I have asked family and friends to describe Manuel to me they have all used the same words: Giving, Energetic, Caring, Passionate, Brilliant, Funny…I also learned he spoke 5 languages, appreciated the challenges of business, enjoyed cooking and classical music and loved his family and his friends.
Manuel also read the Bible-when his daughters looked at his Kindle last week, they weren’t surprised to see the Bible was the Book opened on it and the scripture the Bible was opened to was Psalm 49; The scripture states, “Why should I fear in times of Trouble? ” Why indeed….It is comforting to know that he had read that passage recently. Manuel was a person of faith.
17 years ago, I am told that Manuel had a heart attack. Perhaps that experience led him to live each day to its fullest for he truly seemed to embrace life! Manuel knew that life included ups and downs, health and illness, joys and sorrows, beginnings and endings.
The Bible puts it this way: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
Today there is sadness, to be sure, but there is also deep gratitude-gratitude to have known this man and to have shared precious moments of life with him.
Poet Richard Fife, writes:
No person is ever truly alone
Those who live no more,
Whom we loved,
Echo still within our thoughts,
Our words, our hearts.
And what they did
And who they were
Becomes a part of all that we are,
Forever.
Manuel meant something to each of you as husband, father, grandfather, friend. To each of you - family and friends I say that you enriched his life as much as he was a blessing in yours. We can all honor Manuel by living as he did- by living fully, loving abundantly and having the courage to be all that we can be.
The Apostle Paul gives us these words of Hope which I pray will speak to you this day- - For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God.
Friends our faith assures us that Nothing can ever separate us from the love of God, not even death itself.
And that nothing can take away the memories and blessings of Manuel that you hold so dear in your hearts and minds, not even death itself.
Know that Manuel is now at peace in the loving arms of the God who created him – let us be thankful.
Peace,
Pastor Megan Smith, Associate Minister, Coral Gables United Church of Christ