"Age is Not a Four Letter Word"
Some old people become "angry" old people. Why is that? Why do some people become rude and opinionated when they become old, when they were not that way any other time in their lives?
Is it the result of evolving into something they have always been and age's advance gives them the strength and permission to become what they were, but more so?
Is it the building up of the confidence to speak one's mind and say what has been hidden up to the time in life when it is permissible to say what is thought without regard to the consequences?
Is it the consequence of living in a world that is "youth oriented" and the only way to maintain a sense of integrity is to come into conversations and social settings with strong voice and will. If old people are discounted because of their age then the way to overcome that is with force and emphasis.
How can we age with grace and live out our days so that we do not become defensive and obnoxious or so that we are not ignored or overlooked and have to live out our days as non-beings in a world that really doesn't have much use for us?
How do we evolve into our aging process so that age is a virtue and a thing of value and not a liability?
Abraham Heschel wrote, "There is no human being who does not carry a treasure in their soul; a moment of insight, a memory of love, a dream of excellence, a call to worship. We must seek ways to overcome the traumatic fear of being old, prejudice, discrimination against those advanced in years. All men and women are created equal, including those advanced in years. Being old is not necessarily the same as being stale. The effort to restore the dignity of old age will depend upon our ability to revive the equation of old age and wisdom. Wisdom is the substance upon which the inner security of the old will forever depend. But the attainment of wisdom is the work of a life time. Old people need a vision, not only recreation. Old people need a dream, not only a memory. It takes three things to attain a sense of significant being: God; A soul; And a Moment. And the three are always here. Just to be is a blessing. Just to live is holy."
Facing the aging process as a resource rather than a curse begins with an understanding of our fundamental worth as a human being. How do we achieve that?
This is the thrust of the sermon.
Do you have thoughts on this? Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thoughts with others click on the 'comments' box below. I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
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