Mark Sorensen I read an article recently that spoke to the power of an epitaph. What it says about us when we die is a window into how we lived our lives and what we found to be most important. It’s interesting to consider epitaphs of those who have gone before us. Take Ludolph Van Ceulen, for example. You may not be familiar with the name, but you might be familiar with one of his famous discoveries. Ludolph was a Dutch mathematician who was the first person to ever calculate pi. He died at the age of 70 in 1610 and, on his tombstone, he wanted his proudest achievement to be known to all. Want to guess what his epitaph read? “3.14159265358979323846264338327950.” True story. How about Benjamin Franklin? He once wrote an epitaph for himself in one of his journals that read the following: “The Body of B. Franklin, Printer; like the Cover of an old Book, Its Contents torn out…” Among all of his accomplishments, “printer” was what he wanted to be known as first and foremost. For Thomas Jefferson, it was “Author of the Declaration of American Independence,” and for Martin Luther King, Jr., “Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m Free at last.”
As I read these, I couldn’t help but also think of this in light of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The cross was Jesus’ ultimate epitaph given to us all with a resounding message from God saying, “I have set you free.” What a beautiful truth for us all to live in and experience. We spent six weeks of this season of Lent reminding ourselves that, through the cross, we’re free from our past, our hurt, our brokenness, our regret, our addictions and our sin. Once we live into the freedom that Christ makes available to us all, then we find true freedom to take hold of what Christ freely gives.
It’s my prayer that on this side of Easter, that you daily take hold of the grace God makes available through the cross of Jesus Christ. This is an epitaph that reminds us daily of His love that never fades.
