In the last few weeks, I have witnessed the deaths of three very different people.

The first, a neurological patient in need of therapy and her family’s love, was mercilessly and relentlessly marked for death by her husband, the judiciary, and a great many Americans who claim to value life. Why did she have to die? Terri Schiavo wasn’t hurting anyone; she wasn’t even in pain, herself…

The second, a man who lived his whole life in the service of his God, died when his body simply gave in to the many illnesses he had been fighting for many years. He lived out the gospel of suffering he had preached for so long, demonstrating that there is value in human life, though we can never truly be free of pain. I have no doubt that Pope John Paul II, now, again, simply Karol Wojtyla, was met by his Father with the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

The third death, though, was the most personal. One of the most brilliant people I have ever known, a dear friend, and a graduate of Rice University and MIT, Neal Jameson, III, passed away on March 10, 2005. I am not sure what the circumstances were, but I know that Neal wrestled mightily with many issues on this earth. I am glad to know that he is also resting in his eternal home; he will be missed.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 4th, 2005 at 11:17 am and is filed under Miscellanea. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.