Finis Terræ

When Mom and Dad went to Spain last summer, they visited Finis Terræ, the westernmost point in the Old World, where an ancient Roman lighthouse still stands to mark the end of the earth—in Latin, finis terræ. In its day it truly was the end of the world—beyond here a frontier-seeking soul could go no further without letting go and trusting her life to God, and even that only with a worthy vessel for the voyage. Beyond this point was the dominion of death and mystery.

Since that day, many have traveled beyond the end of the world and returned to tell about the New World on the other side. Some even settled it. As I give my world globe a spin, it is hard for me to imagine the futility and finality of such an end—a very real end—of their world. But then, the people of that age were limited not as much by their lack of science and technology as their vision.

And how like us today. We watched Mom slip away, past the end of our world and over the horizon, and we cried as she launched out into the domain of death and mystery, beyond our reach, where we could not follow. Beyond here, her frontier-seeking soul let go and trusted her life to God. I have to wonder how those of the new heaven and the new earth view what is to us the futility and finality of such an end—a very real end—of our world, limited by our science and technology and most of all our vision. My guess is that in part they see us a little like we see the Ancients—it is interesting to us, but in the end there is nothing to be done about their limited vision. They only knew what they knew, and so they had to go on living out their part in the Great Story the best they could, hoping that at the end of their role, they too would find a new home among the angels.

Mom’s hope was more than wishful thinking. She heard and believed the words of Jesus who has already been there and back again. He said to her, “In My Father’s house are many dwellings; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” Yes, she made it to her new home. Her Vessel was worthy. And though we stand now at the end of our world, looking longingly for her face over the deep, we know that finis terræ is not the end at all—we too will join her someday at her new home, and she will have the most beautiful garden bathed in rainbows waiting to receive us.