Looking ahead to our judgment day

The deaths, within days of each other, of baseball legend Joe DiMaggio (see separate story) and Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun (see page 2 of our print edition) could lead Christians to some sober Lenten reflections.

What does God say to the Yankee Clipper, who drained every ounce from his God-given athletic talents? In the timeless scales of divine justice, how much does Joe D's charitable service on behalf of sick children weigh against his broken marriages and estranged son? Indeed, if he repented his familial sins and devoted himself to caring for others, might he rank in heaven alongside a similar sinner-saint like Augustine? From heaven's point of view, does an 84-year life like Joltin' Joe's glow even more brightly than a 56-game hitting streak?

Tougher questions can be posed about Mr. Blackmun. The U.S. bishops rightly summed up his decision to legalize abortion nationwide through all nine months of pregnancy as "erroneous, unjust and immoral." Even he recognized that the Roe v. Wade ruling was the one he would be remembered for, but it wasn't the totality of his life. How does God greet such a man? If he followed his conscience but was horribly wrong, what is said by the Creator of Life to a man whose decision condemned millions to death?

Of course, no human has the right to judge the eternal fate of any person. But we can use the questions their deaths raise to examine our own consciences, a worthy Lenten and Renew 2000 activity. If today were the last of our days, how would God judge us? What big mistakes would we want forgiven, and what virtues would we offer in our defense? More importantly, what can we do today to change our lives for the better in order to ensure that the questions asked at our passing are more simple to answer?

(03-11-99)

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