This last Sunday I attended the funeral of the father of my dear friend Ellie.
It was a beautiful funeral. Very sad, but incredibly beautiful.
During the funeral service numerous people got up to speak about the life of Seyed Ahmad Kalantar, a man I had only met once briefly several years ago. The words people spoke about him, and the deep love and admiration with which they spoke them left me moved to tears numerous times throughout the service.
Ellie’s dad had been born in Iran 80 years ago. And while he had lived abroad for much of his adult life working as a physician, twelve years ago he had decided to return to his homeland Iran. Seyed’s life held many adventures and I’m sure, many adversities also. But the message his life spoke was one of love. As his son, and nephews, and neices and finally, his beautiful grandchildren got up to speak at his funeral, the picture they painted for us all was of a man who valued love, appreciated beauty, and had a deep sense of humanity and compassion. His son said that when he would ask his father for advice, his reply would always encourage him to do whatever was most humane. If his life was a sermon, it was one of love, and courage, and compassion.
Which made me wonder, if my life were a sermon, what would it say? [Read more…]