Bags of jellybeans were laid with reverence around the Santa Monica mortuary. Flower bouquets were placed at the base of the president’s statue in his hometown of Dixon, Ill. Flags were hung at half-staff all across Washington. They will do so for the next 30 days, in silent tribute to the death of Ronald Reagan.
All this week, the nation will mourn his loss. Today, Mr. Reagan lies in repose at the Reagan Library. Tomorrow evening, the formal funeral procession will take the president to the Capitol, where he will lie in state. On Friday, the national day of mourning, Mr. Reagan will be honored at a state funeral at the National Cathedral after which he will be laid to final rest back in his beloved California.
The Washington Times
Editorial, June 8, 2004
Analysis:
To political opponents and supporters alike, President Reagan is considered an important figure in the history of our nation.
Thus, it is fitting that the nation has taken time in the past week to mourn the passing of this man, who at one time occupied the presidency of the most powerful and important nation in the world. The procession, when the body was taken to the Capitol Rotunda to lie in state until the funeral Friday, was a moving occasion, covered extensively by every major news service.
Interestingly, some reports noted that Reagan’s mother was a member of the Church of Christ. A bit more diligent research revealed that she was a member of the Disciples of Christ denomination, and that Ronald Reagan was baptized (“for the remission of sins”, as taught by that denomination at that time), at the age of 11.
Though a man with religious conviction, Reagan could not be defined (as regarding the Bible standard) as a faithful Christian. We leave the consideration of his eternal standing to a just and merciful God.
His death, however, teaches us of the inevitability of our own passing. If this great and powerful man succumbed to the onslaught of time and the ravages of disease, it is sure that each of us will suffer the same fate. James wrote, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 5:14). As we know that our own passing is inevitable, should we not spend our time and effort preparing to meet our God?
