Pillar Days of our Lives
Pillar days are those significant dates that mark the beginning or end of a chapter in the book of life. Pillar days include births, deaths, weddings, graduations and other momentous events. It is good that we observe them with rituals and ceremonies - these traditions help us understand their significance and deal with the changes they represent. June is the month in which we typically observe graduations and weddings. Be sure to bask in the glory and happiness of the moment on these important days.
My son graduated from high school yesterday. His graduation ceremony was dignified and significant, albeit long. At the graduation, I observed my son’s 500 or so classmates, all excited and nervous about moving to the next chapter in their lives. I prayed for them, knowing that their life’s journeys will bring both joys and sorrows. I couldn’t help wondering what kind of tragedies might befall them, knowing that several of my son’s classmates have already experienced the loss of a parent or even, in one girl’s case, a twin brother. I also wondered what joys they would experience. Those young lives, so full of promise. I pray that God guides them all to live to their fullest potential.
Today was another pillar day in the life of the church I attend. The congregation voted to call a new minister to our pulpit. Because I was the chair of the search committee, this was a momentous occasion for me and my fellow committee members. It represented the joyous end to a year-long search effort that consumed many volunteer work hours of each committee member’s time.
As soon as the meeting was over, a member of the search committee asked me what we would do when someone got disillusioned with the minister we put forward - a natural occurrence, due to the nature that even ministers are human and can’t be all things to all people. I told her we would direct the complainer back to the minister or some other appropriate body, but that it was not our duty to take responsibility for it. Isn’t it interesting that even in the triumph of a pillar day, we have a tendency to project into the future and imagine what might go wrong? I did the same thing at graduation.
It is certainly normal to wonder about the future and project negative events during pillar days, but how much more wonderful it is to bask in the joy of the moment, appreciate the huge accomplishment the event represents, and wish the participants well. I encourage you to do just that as you experience pillar days - enjoy every moment, as the glory of the moment is really all we have.
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