As Javi backs out of Jeff and Laura’s driveway in his Subaru, he was already thinking about Laura’s imminent funeral. He hates himself for already thinking about it, but just as he taught Jeff about the Commendation of the Dying, he remembers she’s very near death anyway, barring a miracle from God. What in the world am I going to preach? he wonders. It’s Friday—my day off—so what if she dies over the weekend and the funeral is on Monday? That’s not a whole lot of time to prepare a sermon.
Javi stops in the left turning lane at the intersection of Churchill Street and Main Street to go west back to the church and parsonage. As he waits for the red light, he looks at the Arby’s on the corner of the intersection and is almost tempted to turn around and get a half-pound roast beef sandwich with curly fries. At the mere thought of it, his stomach grumbles loudly and his mouth begins to water. “No,” he says to himself. “You need to eat healthier. Besides, you got food at home.” Granted, it’s bachelor food, but it’s more than sufficient.
Just when he almost changes his mind, the left turning light turns green and makes the decision for him as he turns onto Churchill Street to return to the parsonage.
Three minutes later he pulls into the church parking lot, and he cannot help but admire the beautiful, thick snow falling lightly through the air on top of the church, the towering trees, and the parsonage. This is how we know God truly is not boring, he thinks. For He could have just created one shape of snowflake. Yet scientists tell us no two snowflakes are exactly the same. What a beautiful God we have!
He parks in the parsonage driveway, kicks his shoes off inside the front door, throws some Hot Pockets in the microwave (Man I’m hungry!) and is just about to take off his collar when his phone begins to ring. He takes his iPhone out of his pocket and sees Jeff’s name. Oh no. Please don’t tell me she’s passed away. Javi feels a ping of guilt as he prefers to stay home and eat rather than return to Jeff and Laura. He considers ignoring the phone and later pretending he missed the phone call.
He answers, “Hey Jeff, it’s Pastor Javi.” Lord, forgive me for my selfishness.
Jeff sniffs back some snot before saying, “Pastor, she… she just died.”
Javi closes his eyes and gives a silent sigh. Why can’t You do a miracle just this once, O Lord? “Oh Jeff, I’m so sorry. Christ is risen! I’m coming back.”
“Okay, thanks Pastor.” He hangs up.
Javi looks at the microwave, shakes his head, and puts his shoes back on.
†
Back at Jeff’s house, Javi is welcomed by the same family members who were there earlier. They guide him to Jeff and Laura’s bedroom, where Laura lies still on the bed, her mouth still hanging open after having given her last breath.
Judging that this is not the time to beat around the bush, Javi opens his Pastoral Care Companion and gets straight to it. “Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray… Almighty God, heavenly Father, we thank and praise You that You called Laura to the knowledge of Your dear Son, kept her in the true faith, and granted her a blessed end. We implore You, help us by Your Holy Spirit rightly to know and lament our sins and to be so strengthened in our faith in Christ that in all things we may grow up into Him who is our Head, evermore praising You in newness of life and cheerfully awaiting the glorious appearance of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.”
And they all say together, “Amen.”
Feeling a little awkward—because he hasn’t been in this situation a whole lot and he doesn’t know any of the family—Javi decides to stand back in silence and give the family the space to kiss Laura as they grieve.
After a few minutes, Jeff takes him aside and says, “Thanks, Pastor. I have a meeting with the funeral home tomorrow to make all the plans, but I’m hoping to have the funeral on Tuesday at the church, if that’s okay.”
Javi is relieved. “Of course. That gives me plenty of time to prepare the sermon. Did you guys complete the funeral planning sheet?”
“Yes. I made a copy for you. Let me go get it.”
As Jeff disappears into the bedroom, Javi turns to observe the family once more. He still feels awkward. I don’t belong here. He follows after Jeff to the bedroom.
Just as he arrives, Jeff walks out and says, “Here,” handing him the copy of the paperwork.
“Thanks,” Javi says. “I’ll get this to Kim on Monday and she’ll put the bulletin together. Are you planning on having a luncheon at the church?”
“Yes, I’d like that.”
“Okay, I’ll let the secretary know about that as well, and she’ll contact the Ladies’ Guild for them to prepare the food. We usually have our funeral services at eleven o’clock. Is that acceptable to you?”
“Yes. Thank you, Pastor.”
“No problem.” An awkward pause. Gosh, I hate being introverted. “Is there anything else I can do for you here?”
Jeff thinks for a short moment. “No, I don’t think so. Thank you, Pastor.”
As Javi drives home, he immediately begins thinking about the funeral sermon. What am I going to preach? He has no idea where to begin. Best not worry about it now. I need to focus on Sunday’s sermon, then I’ll take the time to focus on her funeral. I can’t do everything at once. For now, I’ll just return home and read a good book.
As he hopes this is a wise decision, Javi pulls into the driveway of the parsonage and changes into more comfortable clothes and heats up his Hot Pocket. As he makes his way to his reading chair where Don Quixote awaits him, he suddenly dreads reading it. It was fun reading it at first, but Don Quixote is longwinded, and it just feels like work reading it now, not fun. He looks at his bookshelf to decide on another book to read. Where to begin? As he scans the bookshelf, he decides to start alphabetically with what he hasn’t read yet, and his eyes fall upon Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
Sure, why not? he thinks. I bought this years ago, so it’s about time I read this classic.
He places Don Quixote back where it belongs and eagerly opens Frankstein as he sits on the chair with his Hot Pocket and a bottle of Busch Light on his nightstand to the right, floor lamp on the left beaming its warm light onto the chair. As he begins the first few pages, he is shocked by how relevant it is to Laura’s funeral. He never thought Frankenstein would be this kind of book. Many say this book belongs in the horror genre. While horror films have been adapted from the novel, Javi found himself disagreeing with the popular view. Frankenstein is not a story about a monster set loose on the world; it is a story that wrestles with anthropology (what it means to be human) and human mortality. While there are heavy philosophical implications, Javi couldn’t help but ponder it theologically. He is a pastor, after all.
Instead of grieving the loss of his mother, Dr. Victor Frankenstein throws himself into his work in the effort to resolve the problem of human mortality. He essentially plays God by creating a creature, “the monster.” Yet “the monster” is not a monster at all; at first, he is extremely gentle. People only treat him like a monster because of his hideousness, even his own creator. What makes Frankenstein’s “monster” into a monster is not the essence of his creation, but that he is rejected by his creator and the rest of humanity.
The story therefore has four considerations: (1) Take care to take time to grieve your loss, lest it drives you to despair, or in Frankenstein’s case, insanity. (2) Desiring to be gods ourselves, we would make a miserable God and Creator. God alone is the perfect Creator. (3) There has been disorder and chaos since the Fall of Man, but imagine the chaos that would ensue if God our Creator altogether rejected us. And (4) what people has society rejected and therefore made into monsters? Who are the “monsters” among us, and how can we show them the love of our Creator?
Maybe I can use this in my sermon, Javi thinks. No. That’s absurd! Talking about Frankenstein at a funeral? Am I insane? But maybe… Maybe I can make it work. Maybe the risk is worth it.
The Lutheran Column 