{"id":38784,"date":"2024-10-10T22:26:21","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T05:26:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=38784"},"modified":"2024-10-10T22:26:21","modified_gmt":"2024-10-11T05:26:21","slug":"death-of-a-rose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/death-of-a-rose\/","title":{"rendered":"Death of a Rose"},"content":{"rendered":"

My Grandpa\u2019s nickname for me throughout my little league baseball career was \u201cCharlie Hustle,\u201d which he adopted from his favorite major league player, Pete Rose, who died yesterday at age 83.\u00a0 No player in the 1960s and 1970s was more exciting than the player nicknamed \u201cCharlie Hustle.\u201d<\/span> \"\"<\/a>Rose\u2019s relentless pursuit of excellence made him a baseball icon, in fact he remains professional baseball\u2019s all time career hits leader and yet his choices to gamble on the game of baseball while leading as head coach undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame aspirations.\u00a0 <\/span>His passing invites deep reflection on the complexities of both the quantity and quality of one\u2019s life. This reflection aligns with the insights of Lynda Gratton and Andrew J. Scott in their book, The 100-Year Life<\/i>.[1]\u00a0 They aim<\/span> to invite conversation as individuals and as a society about what we will do with the additional time each of us has been given. I will consider the interplay of two major themes, quality and quantity of life, and the resulting profound consideration.<\/p>\n

Quality and Quantity <\/b><\/p>\n

Gratton and Scott show that due primarily to advancements in healthcare and living conditions, people are living longer than previous generations, which they argue calls into question the relevance of the traditional three-stage life model: education, work, and retirement.\u00a0 <\/span>With all the time, money, and attention invested in health and well-being, the news that we live longer is likely excitedly welcomed. However, looking at the financial and social implications of increased quantity of life, Gratton and Scott challenge readers to question their criteria for defining quality of life.<\/p>\n

The Apostle Paul indicates to those gathered in Athens that God gives life and breath to all humanity, determining the allotted span of their life.[2]\u00a0 <\/span>And while we might be excited with 15-20 more years, it is pretty brief compared to eternity.\u00a0 <\/span>As Moses considers the brevity of life in Psalm 90, he requests God, \u201cTeach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.\u201d[3] His request highlights that we have a limited number of days here.\u00a0 <\/span>Each day, therefore, has value, and recognizing this helps us gain wisdom about how we spend those days.\u00a0 A primary <\/span>theme of Gratton and Scott\u2019s book is not so much that we are living longer, but HOW we will live longer.[4]\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s the question of quality, given the quantity.<\/p>\n

Gratton and Scott emphasize the need for new life strategies to maximize quality extended life spans.\u00a0 <\/span>While much could be explored on how to live a happier and healthier life, proximity is the critical determiner of quality of life for Christians.\u00a0 <\/span>Proximity to God is what determines one’s flourishing. Throughout the Bible, the primary impact on humanity’s ability to thrive is directly correlated to closeness to the Creator.[5]\u00a0 Walking daily and humbly with him is his design and desire.[6]\u00a0 <\/span>This then shapes how we approach life at every stage.\u00a0 <\/span>However, for those who reject God there is also no real hope for the future, one might as well eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.[7]<\/p>\n

Consideration<\/b><\/p>\n

In considering the idea of extended life spans, the Biblical account of King Hezekiah came to mind.\u00a0 <\/span>Three accounts of this episode occur in the Scriptures, which tell us that upon facing death due to illness, Hezekiah begged God for more life.[8]\u00a0 <\/span>God granted him 15 more years, and although Hezekiah had experienced the miraculous unquestionable deliverance of God, he sadly finished his life wholly consumed with himself.\u00a0 <\/span>His proximity to God changed and resulted in diminished life and legacy, becoming a cautionary tale.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>The profound consideration from\u00a0The 100-Year Life<\/em> is not how long your life will be but how your life will resonate?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>What will the value of your life be, no matter its length?\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s a question of legacy.<\/p>\n

Becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ doesn\u2019t just mean living in heaven but redeeming and shaping life on earth. We learn there is much more to life, regardless of whether it’s three stages.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>We see that there is a difference between a career and a calling.\u00a0 <\/span>While a career is something we often pursue for personal advancement, calling seems to be that which we do to advance the cause and awareness of Christ.\u00a0 <\/span>Therefore, for the Christian, work is redeemed.\u00a0 <\/span>Whatever our job and however long we do it, we can see our work as not something we do to live, but rather the thing we live to do. \u00a0Our work is something God has given us for his glory and our enjoyment, which predates the fall.[9]\u00a0 <\/span>Throughout this book, I was reminded of a quote from Pastor Tim Keller.<\/p>\n

\n

Everyone will be forgotten, nothing we do will make any difference, and all good endeavors, even the best, will come to naught.\u00a0 <\/span>Unless there is God. If the God of the Bible exists, and there is a True Reality beneath and behind this one, and this life is not the only life, then every good endeavor, even the simplest ones, pursued in response to God’s calling, can matter forever.[10]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The lives of those who have gone before us can teach us much.\u00a0 <\/span>Both the lives of King Hezekiah and Pete Rose resonate because of what they teach about both triumph and tragedy. Will the victory and redemption of Christ resonate in our lives?\u00a0 <\/span>Can we hold our lives with open hands and share in the sentiment that \u201cTo live is Christ, and to die is gain?\u201d[11] There is much more to explore from Gratton and Scott\u2019s insights, such as stewarding finances and what they call \u201cIntangibles,\u201d but for now, let\u2019s consider today’s value.<\/p>\n

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n

[1] Lynda Gratton and Andrew J. Scott, The 100 Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity<\/i>, (London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020).<\/p>\n

[2] Acts 17:26.<\/p>\n

[3] Psalm 90:12.<\/p>\n

[4] Gratton and Scott, The 100 Year Life, <\/i>16.<\/p>\n

[5] Genesis 3, Psalm 1, John 15, Revelation 21.<\/p>\n

[6] Micah 6:8.<\/p>\n

[7] Isaiah 22:13, Luke 12:19, 1 Corinthians 15:32.<\/p>\n

[8] 2 Kings 20:1-11, Isaiah 38:1-22, 2 Chronicles 32:24-26.<\/p>\n

[9] Genesis 2:15.<\/p>\n

[10] Timothy Keller with Katherine Leary Alsdorf, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God\u2019s Work, <\/i>( New York: Penguin Books, 2014),42.<\/p>\n

[11] Philippians 1:21.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My Grandpa\u2019s nickname for me throughout my little league baseball career was \u201cCharlie Hustle,\u201d which he adopted from his favorite major league player, Pete Rose, who died yesterday at age 83.\u00a0 No player in the 1960s and 1970s was more exciting than the player nicknamed \u201cCharlie Hustle.\u201d Rose\u2019s relentless pursuit of excellence made him a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":194,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3298],"class_list":["post-38784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-gratton-dlgp03","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/194"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38784"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38787,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38784\/revisions\/38787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}