Go and do likewise

Since hearing the devastating news of Lana's death and being present at her beautiful but heartbreaking funeral, I have been trying to understand what I should carry forward from her memory. I have lost friends and loved ones before, but never before have I felt such an insistent sense that we need to carry forward the gifts and graciousness of the one we have lost. One of the things most captivating about Lana was the effervescent way in which she gave herself over to fascination with people and other cultures, on the one hand, and a life of deep faithfulness, on the other. Are there others who model obedience to God and who cherish the faith traditions of their communities? Sure. Are there others who are passionate about intercultural travel and lively conversation with friends old and new? Of course. But how often do you see both of those enchanting, compelling qualities in a single person? Lana was truly unique in that way.
I would like to share a few words from a sermon I preached yesterday to my faith community in New Haven. I thought about Lana constantly as I prepared it. I will leave in the material about two other colleagues we have lost, because I want to make the point that even though she was so young, Lana stands easily in the company of luminaries who have had a remarkable impact on many generations of students and friends. The sermon was focused in part on Deuteronomy 30:9-14. Here is the excerpt:
"Is it too hard to love God with all our heart and love our neighbors as ourselves? No. Deuteronomy promises us that 'the word is very near to' us, in our mouth and in our heart, and God's blessings will abound when we turn our hearts toward God. Meditating on Scripture, meeting God in prayer, and reaching out to others in compassion is not so hard, if we can only turn our eyes away from the flashy consumerism and narcissism of contemporary North American culture and train our gaze on God. . . .
This week I have been overcome by a profound sense of urgency, a sense that there is not a minute to waste as we try to figure out how to love God and neighbor. In the past nineteen days, three former colleagues of mine have died. The first, Brevard Childs, was a towering figure in Biblical studies, an uncompromising traditionalist who faced sharp criticism during his career but who never backed down from his conviction that the Old Testament should be read theologically. . . . When he died on June 23rd, the world lost one of the great Biblical theologians of our time.
Another former colleague, Letty Russell, was one of the early founders of feminist theology. She dedicated her life to empowering others, first in ordained ministry in East Harlem, then at Yale Divinity School, and finally across the globe, working for the World Council of Churches and developing multicultural learning programs for women in Asia. Letty was passionate about justice and mutuality in relationship. A humble, no-nonsense woman, she didn't give a fig about social status and spoke truth to power bravely, in a forthright, take-no-prisoners manner that made deans and department heads scurry for cover. All she wanted was for oppressed people everywhere to thrive as beloved creatures of God. Letty died on Thursday night.
My third colleague who died, Lana Schwebel, was the most vivacious woman you could imagine. She was a living paradox: a fiercely independent 'modern' woman who loved to travel alone to exotic places, she immersed herself in medieval studies and could talk for hours about ghosts in medieval literature or the sale of indulgences in the Roman Catholic Church. Lana was an observant Jew in the Conservative tradition of Judaism, keeping kosher even though that was almost impossible with the lame cafeteria food we have at Yale Divinity School, and observing the Sabbath despite the intense academic pressure on her to work all the time. Lana had a sparkling and irreverent wit, she charmed everyone she met, and she had boundless energy for connecting with people. She 'walked in God's ways,' as the rabbi said at her funeral. Lana was only 35 years old when she died last Saturday from injuries sustained in a car accident while she was traveling in Siberia.
It's not just the tragedy of these lives cut short that I mourn. It's the terrible loss of that passion for living faithfully that Brevard, Letty, and Lana showed us.
We know we are supposed to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. We know we should have an all-consuming passion for living faithfully. But do we realize how short the time is, how our time may be gone in an instant? . . . If we are daunted -- if it seems too hard -- we have only to remember the promise of Deuteronomy: the Word is very near to us. The Word is near to us not only when we study Scripture and pray on it. The Word is near us also in the passions of those who live faithfully: those who dare to challenge what needs to be challenged, those who insist on mutuality in every relationship and work to empower the oppressed, those who dare to offer God's healing love across all boundaries. It's time for us to go and do likewise."
The loss of Lana is beyond heartbreaking. But she gave us a wonderful glimpse into an extraordinary and fascinating life lived faithfully. And we will never forget.