August 27th, 2006

“If we live, we live to the lord; and if we die, we die to the lord”

A christian witness of living and dying
In honor of Lynette Hoppe
(who joined her Lord on August 27, 2006)

by Fr. Luke Veronis

“But the righteous person, though she die early, will be at rest. For old age is not honored for length of time, nor measured by number of years; but understanding is gray hair for people, and a blameless life is ripe old age. There was one who pleased God and was loved by him, and while living among sinners she was taken up. She was caught up before evil could change her… ….Being perfected in a short time, she fulfilled long years; for her soul was pleasing to the Lord, therefore He took her quickly from the midst of evil. (Wisdom of Solomon 4:7-15)

These words from the Wisdom of Solomon aptly describe Lynette Hoppe’s full life of 46 years. Many people have been greatly inspired by the witness of faith, courage, strength, peace, joy and love which Lynette and Nathan have displayed these past 20 months. St. Paul writes, “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” (Rom 14:8))  Lynette has modeled these words of the Apostle Paul, not only through the way she lived her life to its fullest as a Christian, a missionary, mother, wife, daughter, mentor and friend of so many, but especially through her unforgettable and inspiring journey of cancer, suffering, and death.

While some people may wonder why such a person of God, a faithful servant of the Lord in the prime of her life and in the midst of a fruitful ministry, needed to face the path of cancer and death at such a young age – and no less with two young children – Lynette exemplified how such a path of illness and even death, when experienced with faith, does lead one into a fuller union with her Lord and offer a witness more powerful and memorable than many lifetimes on earth. She truly offered a contemporary witness of what saints throughout all ages have given to the world. As the Wisdom of Solomon so poetically describes, the righteous often don’t live to a ripe old age, but in the prime of their lives God calls them to remind the world of what a genuine, Christ-centered life of divine love and invincible faith is all about.

The saintly Bishop Gerasimos of Abydou once said, “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived.” Lynette embraced this divine, and sometime harsh mystery of life, and allowed it to hone her faith, deepen her love, and increase her compassion. She experienced the presence of God like never before through this mystery. From a human perspective, many will not understand this problem of cancer and death at a young age. From a divine point of view, however, life is a deep mystery that when lived properly, leads us into the Kingdom of Heaven here and now. And everyone who knew Lynette understood very well that she lived this mystery of life and death and experienced the Kingdom of heaven like few people we have ever known.

What has made this mystery even more poignant is how Lynette and Nathan invited others to join them in her final journey. They reflected a genuine understanding of Christian community by inviting others to share their experience and walk with them – both by inspiring others through their example and lessons learned, while not hesitating to ask others to pray, visit, and help them in their moments of darkness. The website www.prayforlynette.com has been invaluable to countless people worldwide in walking this journey with the Hoppes.

I had the very special and blessed privilege to experience this journey from an intimate perspective. Not only are our families dearest of friends, but throughout her illness, I spoke with Lynette almost weekly, along with being able to see her six times over the past 20 months. From such contact, several aspects of Lynette’s journey brilliantly stand out as a light and example for all of us.
 
St. Paul once wrote, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Phil 1:21) Throughout this journey of sickness, Lynette has repeated this phrase in her own words. Shortly before she died, she shared with me, “Although I cry at the thought of leaving my dear husband and precious children, I simultaneously realize that our heavenly homeland awaits me, and I look forward to dwelling in the continual presence of our loving Lord.” This life is but a brief sojourn on planet earth. God created us for eternity, and Lynette understood that eternal perspective so well. She had a passionate love for Christ, which filled her with the joy of going home. She mourned that she would not be physically present with her husband and children for many future events nor be able to continue her ministry among her beloved Albanian co-workers and friends, but she truly believed that she was “going home” to that heavenly dwelling place, which is in the loving presence of our Lord.