I heard an ad for a Hospice Care Provider the other day. The description of the care given to dying patients by this company sounded wonderful. The ad made dying sound like almost a pleasure with such care. As a flippant, “Gee, too bad I’m not dying…” flashed through my mind, it hit me that, of course, I am dying, We all are.
The dictionary gives two meanings to the word hospice. The first is a house of shelter or rest for pilgrims, strangers, etc., especially one kept by a religious order.
The second definition is a healthcare facility for the terminally ill that emphasizes pain control and emotional support for the patient and family, or a program of care and support for the terminally ill at home or in a nursing home.
Perhaps if we took the same care of one another’s comfort and dignity on a day-to-day basis as the hospice care people do for their clients this would be a much nicer world.
2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:2
In one respect the family of God is in the hospice care business, helping people live the most beautiful, fulfilling lives they can as they journey toward inevitable death…only we have an extra benefit to offer: eternal life with Jesus.
Christian churches are meant to be houses of shelter and rest for pilgrims, both friends and strangers, as we seek God on our way to the Eternal City. That’s why we call them sanctuaries.
Praise the Lord
Praise God in his sanctuary;
Psalm 150:1
praise him in his mighty heavens.
Power Walking with Jonna 