"We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling . . ."

 

            Over the last six years that I have known them, I have made an observation about the Barg family. I have watched them take time and effort (a reshaping of their lives) so that Aaron could experience a fullness in life, including having fun. I have observed that they paid attention to what Aaron enjoyed. The next thing this family did was to invite others into their life with Aaron, so that a rather wide circle of family and friends could have fun along with Aaron. This came out in a variety of ways, but especially at the birthday bashes. For example, the first one that Kathy and I attended, we went kind of wondering just what the party would be like, and then by the end we found ourselves in some type of square dance line.

            I felt the most clever birthday bash of all, the most ingenious, was the "O'Bubba for President" party. I marveled at the detail, developed over months, with its own Internet site, T-shirts and the like, and held in a large white house at Ryerson Woods.

            But, as it turned out, Aaron did not win the election.

            Barack Obama did. So, last week Obama was inaugurated as President of the United States. The nation watched this remarkable peaceful transition of power, in an event that seems almost royal, or as close to royal as Americans ever get, and yet at the same time filled with common touches and open to everyone.

            Then, after the parties were over; after the galas and inaugural balls, which looked to be not nearly as much fun as a Budster Birthday Bash; the next day, the President went to work and gathered influential and powerful people around great tables, and he led these meetings to decide the issues of the day. Such meetings were very much about power and how to wield it.

            In that same week as the Presidential inauguration, a different kind of inauguration took place for Aaron. This heavenly inauguration was in fact very royal, as he entered the presence of the King of Kings. This event was not on TV or in the news, since it can only be seen by faith and by reading God's Word. The scripture describes this inauguration of the Kingdom in images, using metaphors, even ones that do not always fit together. The passage we read speaks of earthly tents and eternal houses and then being clothed in our heavenly dwelling. So we do not know just how to describe it, but we know that Aaron entered into the presence of the King.

            There is much we do not know about that which is unseen and eternal. We cannot describe too many details. What we do know is that in this life we are all in some ways broken, wounded, and incomplete, and when we come to stand in the King's presence we will be made whole.

            The other thing we know is that our eyes are not fit to see eternal realities. We see dimly. But we may come to understand that our view of earthly and heavenly power is distorted; that we put far too much emphasis on what we call human strength or human wisdom. Aaron in his life helped us to see more clearly.

            Through him we could see that love is at the heart of knowing God; and that, in the words of Jesus, the meek inherit the earth; the poor in spirit inhabit the Kingdom of Heaven; the merciful are shown mercy; and the pure in heart will see God.

            Christopher deVinck has written a book that has been very helpful to Steve and Susan and Hannah in understanding Aaron's influence on others and his valued place in life. He writes of "the power of the powerless," which is a reflection on growing up with his brother, named Oliver. Oliver had a very severe condition and he could only lie in bed.

            DeVinck writes, "Oliver still remains the most helpless human being I ever met, the weakest human being I ever met, and yet he was one of the most powerful human beings I ever met. I cannot explain Oliver's influence except to say that the powerless in our world do hold great power. The weak do confound the mighty."

            There is more to life than what we touch and see on this earth, more to grasp than what we understand or value from an earthly perspective, more to experience than the brief span of life granted to us here. Paul calls us to fix our eyes not on what is seen, which is temporary, but on what is unseen, which is eternal. He says we know we have a building from God when this temporary life is over.

            There is something grand going on in heaven where Christ is Lord and King; there is an eternal life, a future for which we look forward. There will be a day when God himself will dry every tear. There is a Savior, Jesus Christ, who lived among us in humility, was crucified, and yet is risen from the dead and exalted to the highest place. There is victory over sin and evil and even death itself, a victory that we can proclaim and celebrate, even as we wait for it.

            "Awake my soul and sing of him who died for thee,

            and hail him as thy matchless King throughout eternity."

            Amen.