By Raymond Sanchez (Originally Written May 26, 2018)
“So God made man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Gen. 1:27 ESV)
“And being found in human form, [Jesus] humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8 ESV)
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4 ESV).
My grandmother moves slowly and painfully around the kitchen. She once danced around this same kitchen in service of her children and grandchildren. Now, there is pain in her movement.
A trip to the restroom takes time; everything she does takes time.
She reminisces about her life -- the poverty she experienced as a child and the difficulties she faced as a migrant worker with an 11-month-old child. These experiences shaped her into the woman she is today. I am who I am because of what she did for her family.
Then, like a scratched vinyl record, she gets caught in a loop of questioning that takes her from her family in Harlingen to someone she knows in Weslaco and back again.
“Oh, you live in Weslaco,” she says, but it’s more of a question. “I thought you lived in Harlingen. Who do I know in Weslaco?” Minutes later, we have the same interaction. The whole time, she is talking about me but is unable to reconcile different parts of my story. The woman who moments ago remembered her childhood in great detail struggles to gather her bearings.
Yet, through lapses of memory, she loves. Through songs of her childhood she worships. Through the pain of age she lives.
She is closer to God now than she has ever been. She is the image of the suffering Christ. God will call her when it is her time. Until then, we rejoice with her presence, the image of Christ.
For Christians, the dignity of humanity is tied to the image of God in which we were created. Further still, Christ became human and suffered through an undignified death. Each time we suffer, we have the opportunity to remember the suffering of Christ. Because we are called to be like Christ, each time we suffer we have an opportunity to be more like Christ.
God may heal my grandmother’s memory miraculously, but even if God does not, there is dignity in her life. Dignity does not come from one’s state of health; it comes from God. And this dignity cries out for our respect.
As children of God, we have the opportunity to see Christ in suffering and to honor human dignity even in the final days of life. Life, all of it, is a gift from God.
Raymond Sanchez is the Pastor of Music and Children’s Discipleship at First Baptist Church in Weslaco. His grandmother just celebrated her 92nd birthday and conquered COVID-19. She is currently living with one of her daughters and son-in-law: Raymond’s awesome parents!
