The writer to the Hebrews quoted from Psalm 8. David wrote the Psalm which extols the place of man on earth and in nature, but implies that all the achievement of mankind is miniscule in the light of what God has done. Is God mindful of us? We see here the paradox of both the importance and insignificance in human beings. Ultimately we become significant simply because God declares us so. It was, and is, his call. After many decades I find myself more mindful of the meaning of the persons I have met, and with whom I counseled, or worked with, or addressed problems, or shared experiences. One of the issues that permeated so many contacts was the sense of self-worth. Often that sense was diluted by the circumstances in which persons were found. Some of these persons were eminent, or identified with eminent persons, and found themselves in later life left to themselves, sometimes at their own preference.
She was about my age, slightly older. I was serving in my semi-retirement as interim minister in her city, Palm Springs, California. She lived in a leased house contiguous to the church property, a house owned by the church. Up the street, a block or so away was the home of the daughter of an eminent entertainer of the twentieth century. Others, including Bob Hope, lived not far away. Her former husband was commonly identified as the fiddler of the twentieth century. At 11 years of age he played a Mendelssohn concert, after which the eminent Fritz Kreisler said, Gentlemen, we can now all break our violins across our knees. He made a world reputation, was in constant demand, and often played for great Hollywood productions. On his centennial year, in 2001, a major production of his work was offered to the public on a CD series. I knew of his artistry/work long ago during my high school years and after. In this context there were none higher.
After some years he divorced his wife, and became reclusive. She was provided for in the manner she chose, but gradually fell into partial mental/emotional decline. She liked a leader in the church, and that carried over to me. He was patient with her, and gave attention to her concerns, which were often created in her imagination. Her son was concerned for her, but respected her wishes to live alone and away. She held on to the style of days when her eminent husband was with her. She complained that intruders were coming into her house, and was not comforted when we proved they were not. One day she reported her keys stolen and that we may not have taken the necessary steps to protect the property. My friend found her keys, and she relented only to repeat the conduct a few days later. So the story goes. Her mind was in the glory days, but those days were over. The celebrities were no longer at her door. The neighbors did not know who she was. Life had slipped by. We reached out to her, and she seemed appreciative, only to fall back to the memories of what was lost. In the end, whether eminent to the world or lost in the uncertain image of ourselves, our personal value is entirely related to what God promises that we are important to him – so important that we are informed he has designed immortal life for those who accept his gift. Value is added, even for a lonely life, following high life. Value is what we tried to carry to her. Her son was grateful for our ministry to her, although we had no assurance about his spiritual beliefs. He was dutiful, but without resources to counter her independence. She seemed to live in the past, taken by advancing weakness but avoiding the acceptance of the visible, how could she sense the nature of the invisible? In appreciation and on my leaving the city she took we two friends to a magnificent restaurant for one of the most delicious meals I ever ate, but that was not the life goal we looked for in our service to this dear lady. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020