Probably Forgotten, Certainly Remembered

Under the stepped pews at Salem Chapel is our cellar. More accurately, a store, for it is at ground level on account of our chapel's peculiar design. It is useful for keeping bulky items, one of the few benefits conferred by a raised seating area. When I first arrived, I recall having a church-wide clear out of the store, and we removed piles of wood and a jerrycan of petrol. Upon the beams, which support the floor above, various initials have been daubed. GW 1933; JP 1927; ED 1921. Doubtless, these were church members or regulars, presumably male, who were working down there and wished to commemorate the occasion. Now a century, or near century later, and their initials have outlived them. A careful scrutiny of the records might shed light on their identities, but not their business.

I once saw the words Known to God on a gravestone. Its occupant was presumably unknown to those who buried him or her. Job complained:

My relatives have failed, And my close friends have forgotten me. (Job 19:14)

If the Lord Jesus tarries, we shall all be forgotten, too; assuming our chapel still stands and the Lord extinguishes not its lamp, my name shall be just a footnote and most of the rest will only survive in dim recollections. Observes Solomon:

For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool! Ecclesiastes 2:16

Thankfully, we have a God who will not forget us!

He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Psalm 98:3