Of the Light for June Meitz

“Of the Light”

October 9, 2019

Homily delivered by Rev. Peter T. Atkinson

for A Service of Witness to the Resurrection

In Memory of June Meitz

Bethany Presbyterian Church, Zuni, VA

Luke 16:8b

I chose a different kind of verse, not typical for funerals, but it kept speaking to me about June, so I decided to go with it anyway.

The people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the children of the light.

And Lord knows sometimes it is difficult to be a child of the light in this world, whereas the shrewd learn to play the game: The game of pretense and double dealing and using people, and all that makes it difficult for the child of the light to make it through.

But the one thing that a child of the light has is love, and there is no question that June Meitz was a child of the light. She was a Sunday School teacher, a mom, a singer of songs, a takerer of pictures, and she did all of those things because she was a cherisher of people, and she knew that those things could bring back memories people, allowing her to feel that love again.

A heart full of love like that of a child of the light knows what is important, and holds to it, whether it be a photo or the simple gift that a child made for her in Sunday School. She would cherish it and keep them, for she knew such things, and their power. Love teaches you that.

And its not just love, but light, because it is love and light connected to Jesus Christ, and the children of the light reflect his light, and the more dark the world seems to get, the more bright the light appears, and it’ true that sometimes such brightness would make you look away, and you might need a reflection.

June saw these reflections in people and she was a reflection herself. I can see that today, as I look around at all of you, whose lives were touched by Junes, how strong her reflection of the light was and is.

Especially her blood family and her church family, and truly anyone who would meet her because meeting her was being family. She did not know any other way to treat someone.

I came to Bethany, just after Paul died, though I was blessed to meet Paul as part of the Pastoral Nominating Committee, and having gone to Hampden-Sydney, I share many common friends with Mark, so I had some context into their family upon arriving, but I first met June then after Paul had died.

And I met someone whose mind was swimming, confused by the harshness of this world. Remember now a child of the light might have trouble in a world like ours, not understanding, but I came to realize maybe she understood somethings the rest of us didn’t.

And one thing I could always see and hear in her was that she was definitely a child of the light, no matter what could happen.

And that being the case, she was ready.  Mark said yesterday, that something he knew about and I remembered it from my teaching days was that planning backwards – focus on the end and count back – was always a good way of achieving a goal.

She did, she was ready for her moment, and so how appropriate the words in her obituary are when it said that she was running to be with Jesus. . . and Paul, and Scott.

I came across these words in a song by Merle Haggard and had shared them with the church because it they seemed to put to words some of the feelings that must have been swimming through and racing through June’s head these past two years.

If I could only fly. . . if I could only fly

I’d kiss this world goodbye and be with you

But I can hardly stand, and I’ve got no where to run

Another setting sun, and one more lonely night

Time can be cruel thing, as can be the limitations of our bodies, but now she can fly. . .

And now she can bridge the expanse between here and there, and be with everyone that she loves. . . here and there.

No more lonely nights. . .

And for those who love her. . .

If we can remember, the same is true for us. . .

Until that day we can all fly together.

Amen.