how long is a million hours?

Homily

Funeral Mass of Jake Zimmerman

2 May 2022

St. Agnes Church

Grainfield, KS

AMDG

How long is a million hours?

Grandpa Jake almost found out.  I was doing the quick math on 104+ years last night.  Jake was well north of 900,000 hours.  I'll leave it to the other grandkids to do the precise math.  There's no question that 104+ years was an incredible run.  A good life, a true gift from God.  Well done, good and faithful servant!

I don't think I ever heard grandpa give a speech, not that I can remember anyhow.  My dad has pulled a few off in his days, a toast here and there that were pretty good actually!  I can't remember any from grandpa.  So I don't suppose a long speech to match a really long life is in order here.  I doubt that's what grandpa wanted.  He was pretty measured with his words, at least to me.  Maybe his kids could tell a different story.

How long is a million hours?  It seems like forever, but it's not.  Against the backdrop of creation and human history, it's just a blip. That's why how long you live is less important than how you live.  Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it's just a grain.  But if it dies, it produces rich fruit.

Jake died to himself as much as anyone I ever knew.  He didn't talk about himself, at least not to me.  He didn't pretend to be the center of the world.  He was glad to be alive, to the end for sure, trusting that life has meaning cause God wills it, whether or not we can figure it out.  

The thing is Jake did figure life out.  A million hours for him is just a string of doing the next right thing, and seeing what comes of it.  The world changed a lot during his 104 years and his membership in the greatest generation.  Work hard, go to church, put your seed in the ground, and provide for others.  It's a simple recipe, in sharp contrast to the 'you do you' culture around us.

We all have so much because Jake kept it simple.  We have our faith.  We have our responsibility. We have our family. We have an example of how to do it right.  That's the gift and legacy of grandpa's life, and for it I am most grateful to God.

What if grandpa hadn't gotten off Okinawa and met Helen?  Thankfully we don't have to find out these answers, which makes me ever more in awe of Jake's story, and grateful that I got to be his grandson in person for 48 years.  

I think each one of us knows exactly how to honor the gift of his life, by living by the example he left us. 

I am so blessed to be able to send him home with our love and prayers today.

How long is a million hours?  It's not that long if you go to church, work hard, put your seed in the ground, and see what comes of it.