Those who grieve the lost, weary, forgotten, the vulnerable and poor and all in the margins of life. and god wants you to know, in every circumstance of life, that you are beloved, whoever you are, whatever you are, whatever you ve done. god looks at you today and he loves you. this is the god we now, who lives seriously, who traffics in life and death, and is known in every dimension of life, even in the crosscurrents of the emotions we experience today. and speaking of many people, in these last weeks, as colin powell s life was remember, there was at the beginning of most of those conversations just the slightest of pauses, sort of a
Future. his closest disciples fled in fear into hiding, but finally, strong women came to his tomb. there, god enacted a cosmos-altering explosion of divine light and life, released and searching at god s command, breaking that three-day canopy of silence. and from that tomb, jesus rose to new life, resurrection life, and all creation rises with him. in that newly-beheld radiance that is without analogy, sins
Creation gave you the last breath you drew, and who gave colin life from the first, and receives it back again. the great 20th century rabbi abraham joshua was once asked, what is the most important thing a religious person can do? s answer was given in one word: remember. that is what we do this day. it is what we do as religious people, every time i gather we hear again and again the sacred stories of encountering god, ancient and cherished. story about god as ineffable mystery, but still revealed to our fragile and mortal humanity. we remember god s saving love for the human race, and in that act of remembering together, the god of life and giver of every
United as americans. the measure of colin powell s life is good, and a great man is more than any one person can fully take in or tell. these heartfelt, moving, and poignant tributes took us a long way. and so your presence here today, as you stand with this family, all of you, your memories indeed, even the person you are is now a part of that larger mosaic that tells of the life of colin powell. the love and years you shared as family are forever with you, it imprinted deep within your hearts. and the impact of colin s life on you, his friends, colleagues,
Me. when i was in high school, my grandmother give me a photo of general powell adorned with a chest full of metals, and prompting me, you need not look far for your own hero. i carried that photo all through school, and have it to this day. after reading general powell s book, my american journey in college, eric said, for the first time in my life, i found myself, and all i wanted to be. and all these years later, i still do my best to imitate the man himself, trying to make my life journey as good and honorable and centered in service. i have held a light to his life, and it has been a true affirmation of faith.