Recently I left a memorial service at the same time as a friend; we were both overwhelmed at how much we didn’t know about the deceased. Of course, we didn’t expect to know personal details but this was basic history. We were both shocked.

My friend suggested that we in the community should all write our obituaries and then pass them around to see if there are any questions or comments!

I think this friend wants to do an obituary swap so he really know his beloveds while they are still on Earth. I understand this wanting. I think we all have a wanting to know one another, and perhaps more importantly, to be known. But I don’t think we ever arrive at a time where we know someone completely.

I am sure you’ve experienced the joy of discovering something new about your friends or family members – people you have known for ages and ages. This makes life interesting! But again, no matter how close we are with anyone – including ourselves, we will never know everything there is to know about them. So much remains a mystery. No matter how long we have known one another, no matter how intimate the relationship, no matter how much time we spend together, there are things I will never know about you-or myself.

To live well with the certainty of mystery requires humility – a deep knowing that we cannot know all the answers. We can only know what is true for ourselves. If we can develop an ability to befriend the mystery, the unknown, the uncertainty, this will prove to be good practice for life. More on this Sunday…