I am in Portland Oregon today. This weekend has been a great time with my family. We have sat around laughing and crying while remembering my cousin Adam who just a short time ago died. Its still so surreal. I'm not even sure if I totally believe that I won't see him again here on earth. His presence is greatly missed here.
Today at church we had a time of blessing and remembering Adam. My cousin Ben had some great thoughts during communion that I'll share.
While we were on our way to find Adam's body, we stopped in a town about an hour from Jinja. This is were we learned that Moses was dead and his body was on the way back to Jinja. Irene, Moses wife was in the car with us along with her nephew and another women. When Irene found out that her husband was dead she weeped. This was something that I had never experienced. Ben, Kym, Spencer and I sat in the car and cried with her. We held her hand and cried. And we had communion together. We had a "common union."
When we arrived at the hospital where Adam's body was, we were taken back to see him. He was in the morgue which was behind the hospital. When we finally got to Adam he was laying on a table. We cried over him, together. Again, we had communion with him. A "common union."
The next day Kym and I stayed in Mbale to get started on plans for going home. Ben and Spence went to get Adam's body. Ben said that while they were waiting to bring Adam back a Kenyan man approached Ben. He said that he had heard about the accident and was so sorry. As tears rolled down this man's face Ben looked around to see that many were around him. Ben started to talk to these other people who before seemed to be there just because it was the big news of this small village. Ben quickly realized that most of these people had lost a brother, uncle, cousin, or loved one. They shared in a common union. There in the place where Adam died they had communion together.
We came back to the states and the week before the funeral the Langford's house was full of people. The house was full of laughter and tears. People communing together.
Then this weekend, here in Portland again we find ourselves with a common union. We are all here, friends and family, to remember the life of someone who meant so much. Adam showed me that serving is something that you just do. You don't need to make plans or talk about it, you just do it every chance you get.
Today as a family, that is what we did. We served the congregation during communion. I have never done this. It was so great as a family to serve those at East County Church of Christ. We are all grieving over Adam. We are sad and feel a great loss.
Communion was different today. Today, I shared with others in a common union, the void that is in our life. I served others who were hit hard by Adam's death. I am so thankful for this time that I have had here this weekend. I am thankful for communion.
