Contemplation: Coram Deo

‘Be very careful, then, how you live —not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.’ Eph 4:15-17

One of my most satisfying duties as the chairman of the Dover Park Hospice was to commission a new logo for the hospice. Designed by DP Architects’ creative unit, the logo features two forms, the Circle of Life and the Dove. The Circle represents the passage of life, the trials and experiences of life well-lived. Significantly, the Circle is not enclosed, allowing the Dove to soar free and take flight, full of hope and dignity. The tagline “Every Moment Matters” is inspired by the words of Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the modern hospice movement.

“You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life.” - Dame Cicely Saunders.

Every moment matters is a philosophy for living. We should live as if we savour every moment, every minute and every day. With every passing moment we should live well, not only for ourselves, but also for others and God. A certain smile, a kind word or a brilliant thought can have an everlasting impact. Conversely, a momentary inattention, a missed opportunity can exact dire consequences. (See Panasonic Commercial below for a dramatic illustration).

We are familiar with the phrase ‘In God we live and move and have our being.’ In theology, this refers to ‘Coram Deo’, which is Latin for ‘before the face of God.’ Coram Deo, conveys the idea of living one’s entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God and to the glory of God.

Benjamin Franklin understood this when he said, "Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of."

When we visited the Amish county at Lancashire, Pennsylvania in 1992, I bought a wooden plaque engraved with an Amish proverb, ‘Ve get too soon oldt and too late schmardt.’

Consider the life of Charles Thomas Studd. He established an enduring Christian missionary society, the World Evangelisation Crusade. Studd was the son of a wealthy indigo planter and a leading cricketer. He played for England in the 1882 cricket match between England and Australia which was the origin of the famous Ashes cricket tournament. Despite the chance to be a famous international sportsman, in February 1885, C.T along with a group of young men, called the ‘Cambridge Seven’ set sail from England to become missionaries. They volunteered to serve in China after attending meetings at Cambridge University, following Hudson Taylor in the newly established, China Inland Missions.

After more than 10 years service in China C.T. Studd left the country to pastor a church in South India from 1900 to 1906. In 1910 he went to the Sudan and Belgian Congo. In 1913, he started four mission stations and went on to establish the World Evangelism Crusade which today continues to send missionaries to South America, Central Asia and the Middle East as well as Africa.

C.T. gave away a sizeable portion of his family inheritance to help the work of George Muller, D. L. Moody and others on the mission field. At the age of seventy, C.T. Studd died, but his vision for China, India and Africa had expanded to reach the whole world.

He wrote this poem, One Life.

Two little lines I heard one day,

Traveling along life's busy way;

Bringing conviction to my heart,

And from my mind would not depart;