An episode in the British
mystery series “Midsomer Murders” has an elderly character make the comment in
so many words, “You know what the really terrible thing is about growing old?
You become invisible.”
Many times in the Bible study
I lead each week I have commented about the importance of the word “remember”.
You need only look at how many places, buildings, pieces of furniture in
churches, and the headstones in cemeteries carry a name to realize how
important it is to us humans to be remembered, in some sense not to become
invisible.
We call the shy ones
“wallflowers”. We use other words such as introverted or backward. The result
is often the same. The person becomes overlooked, and if it happens enough,
they become invisible.
An elderly person is not as
productive as they once were. Their conversations often turn more to the
subjects of how they have changed or the challenges they face or the loved ones
and friends they have lost than to things of the future or hopes or dreams. The
pains and regrets seem to outnumber anything positive in their lives. No one
wants to listen to their stories. They are avoided. They become invisible.
They don’t have to become
invisible. They can be acknowledged for who they are, valuable human beings
with much yet to contribute to the society they helped build. Material
productivity may be lost for the main part. One of the great losses of humanity
is the lack of importance we should place on simple human interaction and
relational enrichment.
Those whom we have allowed to
become invisible can still contribute to their society in ways of great value
if shown how and given the opportunity. In Japan Living National Treasures are individuals or groups who have earned
the right through many years of developing skills to be considered living
repositories of these skills. In the same way our eldest may be considered
repositories of wisdom and history.
Though in vain I have looked
for it, as a high school student I read a short story in a collection of
science fiction pieces entitled “The Time Machine”. It was not a typical sci-fi
piece as much as it was about the ability of imagination to make valuable what
the world has pushed aside. In summary it was the story of a young boy who
bragged to his friends that he had a time machine at his house.
When challenged to reveal his
time machine, he took his friends to his home and introduced them to his
grandfather. As the elderly gentleman told stories of his childhood, his young
audience was transported back to a time found only in history books and seen as
exhibits in museums. He was indeed a time machine just as surely as were the
men I heard relate their personal experience in the great San Francisco fire of
1906 or tales of firing cannons in World War I before they themselves became a
part of history.
We will discover something
precious if we are willing to stop our mad race with time and still the chaotic
noise of the world around us. All we need to do is adjust our lives and give
that most precious of gifts, our attention, and we will find ourselves in the
presence of living treasures. These individuals or small groups will discover
through us they are neither forgotten nor invisible.
Leviticus 19:32 “You shall rise up
before the grayheaded and honor the aged, and you shall revere your God; I am
the Lord.” (NASB)
