12 March  2026

The other day I was thinking - as you do - about some of the epitaphs I have heard of over the years, some very funny and some very sad.
I think one of the saddest was one in the graveyard of one of John's churches; it simply read, "Here lies poor Bill, with all his faults and failings."
Full stop. Nothing else.
Poor, poor Bill, indeed!
Another sad but rather beautiful one was, "He first deceased; she, for a little, tried to live without him, liked it not and died." A beautiful memorial to a loving relationship.
Or, what about this one, setting a challenge for God ahead of his judgement:
"Here lie I, Martin Elginbrod,
Have mercy on my soul, Lord God,
As I would do, if I were you
And you were Martin Elginbrod."
If Jesus were to have an epitaph, his life summed up in a couple of short sentences, I guess it would be two different Bible quotations. Firstly, John 3 v 16 "God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten son that all who believed in him should not perish but have eternal life."
And again from the 1st letter of John, ch. 2 v. 1, "If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father ...... and he is the propitiation for our sin, and not for ours only but for the sin of the whole world."
God, Jesus, loved humankind so much he came in person to teach us how to live in love and gave himself for us on the cross so that we might have our sin forgiven and so come to eternal life.
Now there's a thought as, through Lent, we approach the tragedy and horror of Good Friday and the wonder, joy and fulfilment of Easter day!

With love
Jacquie xx