What Would Your Epitaph Say?
Posted: Friday, January 02, 2009
by John Waddey
firstcenturychristian
From earliest times, civilized people have marked the graves of those they loved, respected or despised. The wealthy might have elaborate tombs or monuments, the poor a simple slab of stone. Only the poorest had no marker on their grave. Written on markers were epitaphs, usually in rhyme. They were brief biographical outlines of the people they memorialized. From them we glean many good lessons.
* "Into nothing, from nothing, how quickly we go."
* Another reads, "Once we were not, now we are as we were."
* A common inscription said, "I was not, I was, I am not. I care not."
* One Valerious wrote of his wife, "Pure in heart, modest, of seemly bearing, discreet, noble minded and held in high esteem."
* On a tomb in Rome is carved, "Here for all time has been set down in writing the shameful record of the freedwoman Acte, of poisoned mind and treacherous, cunning and hard-hearted. Oh, for a nail and a hempen rope to choke her, and flaming pitch to burn her wicked heart." (From an old newspaper clipping).
In an old book,dated 1806 I found the following interesting epitahs.
* The body of benjamin Franklin, n Printer. (Like the cover of an old book, Its contents torn out, and stript of its lettering and gilding) Lies here food for worms. Yet the work itself shall not be lost, For it will (as he believed) appear once more in a new and more beautiful edition, corrected and amended by the Author."
* Of Thomas Crabtree, age 19: "Short was my stay in this vain world, All but a seeming laughter; Therefore mark well thy words and ways, For thou com'st posting (riding) after."
* For a cobbler (shoemaker) "Death at a Cobler's door oft' made a stand, And always found him on the mending hand; At last came death, and in foul weather, Ript the sole from off the upper leather: Death by trick of art, then laid him fast, His awl he called for, but death brought his last. (A last was a iron tool on which the shoe was placed for repairs).
* For an honest neighbor: "An honest man here lies at rest, As e'er God with his image blest, The friend of man, the friend of truth; The friend of age, the guide of youth: Few hearts like his, with virtue warm'd Few heads with knowledge so inform'd: It there's another world, he lives in bliss; If there is none, he made the best of this."
* For a lawyer: "God works wonders now and then, Here lies a Lawyer, dy'd an honest man."
* For Tom Lock, Fisherman, drunkard: "Bewail your loss! Tom Lock he is no more!...You'll not much wonder that he now lies dead, Twas moonshine brought him to this fatal end. Not one dark night did e'er poor Tom befriend! In vain for him did Sol his light display, Twas always moonshine either night or day."
* King Charles of Spain who accomplished nothing in his life: "Here lies the last King Charles of Spain, Who all his life ne'er made campaign: He made no children, girl nor boy, Nor gave two wives one nuptial joy. What has the valiant prince then done, Who long possest so vast a throne? E'en nothing, neither good nor ill, Nay, not so much as made his will."
I find it sad that we no longer inscribe epitaphs on the markers of our graves. In a large cemetery you could observe ten thousand markers and know nothing but the name and dates of birth and death of the people who rest there. If your survivors were to prepare an epitaph for you, what might they record of your life? For example, "and the dead in Christ shall rise." Or, "I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed unto him against that day" (II Tim. 1:12). Or "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness." Or, "Let not your hearts be troubled...in my Father's house are many mansions..." Or, "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord" (Rev. 14:13). Or, "She was faithful unto death" (Rev. 2:10).
Someone observed that the life we have lived is our best epitaph for folks to remember.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)I'd like mine to say, "Well done thy good and faithful servant"Rabbi StanleyNo better epitaph could be found.
I like Spike Milligan's - "I told you I was ill!"I'd like mine to say "A good man and true, put smiles on the lips of those around him for a thousand years".Obviously, I'm being a little ambitious with the lifespan here, but fingers crossed! ;-)
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