Thursday Thinking - Facing Death

I had the privilege of meeting Lt. Col. Mark Weber at a Rosemount High School event organized to give special recognition to graduating students who had enlisted into the U.S. Armed Forces. I was there because one of those graduating students is a young man from the church I pastor.

I sat a a table across from Officer Weber during much of the program, not realizing that he was the special guest speaker. He seemed very thin, but it wasn't until he stood up,when introduced, and I saw the tube looping down below his jacket that I realized he was dealing with a serious illness. Until that moment, anything that might have signaled his stage-four cancer was overshadowed by his warmth and genuinely friendly demeanor. He delivered a very practical, hopeful, and helpful message for the young recruits that day.

Catching up on a pile of newspapers this week, my wife noticed an article about Lt. Col. Weber in the June 19 StarTribune. She pulled out the page and said, "Is this the guy you met in Rosemount?" It was. I'm glad she pointed it out to me because it led me to discover a video of a recent speech Lt. Col. Weber delivered which concludes with a heart rending duet he sang with his son. I should also mention that Mark's father was in the audience that day.

Click Here to Watch the 27 Minute Video of the Speech

I'm posting the StarTrib article and a couple video links for you because Weber's perspective and tenacity are likely to provoke you to some deep thoughts. He's in a situation that has forced him to think through and stand up to some of the biggest issues anyone could ever face, and he's doing it with class and clarity. And in the process, he's prompting others to think about their lives too. Thank you, Lt. Col. Mark Weber. I'm glad to have met you, and I'm thankful for the way you are embracing life in the face of death.

From the STAR-TRIBUNE Article by Jon Tevlin:

Before Weber got up to make his speech, he took off his glasses so that he couldn't see people cry. Then he talked about Buford. He told jokes, he talked about the importance of serving your country and he talked about humility. He also talked about the "fog of war."

"On a daily basis, soldiers make life or death decisions in the blink of an eye in that fog. Never before in our nation's history has so much been asked from so few Americans."

Finally he talked about another unwelcome guest at the back of the room.

"It's death," Weber said. "And I mention him because I see him and hear him once or twice a month, and he whispers in my ear something I'd like to pass along to all of you:
"Live, because I am coming." 

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