See You Later George

This past Saturday I had the ominous task of standing by the casket of a good friend and sharing some thoughts intended to comfort his family and friends.  George T. Quinn was a lot of things to a lot of people; husband, father, grandfather, brother, co-worker, Christian brother.  But to me, George was a true friend.  True friendship is certainly a very precious gift.  Unfortunately, in our fast-paced, self-serving society many people fail to ever experience the depth of joy that comes from a lifelong friend.  While I have personally been blessed throughout my lifetime with deep friendships, it is still sad to lose one even though I know that one day we will be eternally reunited.

George taught me a lot during our many talks together and my life has been enriched by his encouragement and support.  Yet, as I stood beside him while he was ushered from this life into the next, God revealed to me the deepest joy of true Christian friendship: it is eternal.  The Bible says that “nothing can separate us from the love of God.”  (Rom. 8:38-39)  Similarly, when that kind of Godly love is shared between two friends, nothing can defeat it; not separation of space, not difficult circumstances, not social or cultural pressures, not even death itself.  It is eternal.

So in those last few moments I had no reason to say goodbye to my dear friend.  Rather, I simply whispered, “see you later George.”  Hallelujah.