A Grave-opening Night

A Grave-Opening Night

As for me, God will redeem my life.He will snatch me from the power of the grave.

Psalm 49:15

Maury H. B. Paul was a young society editor in New York City in years gone by. One of his first big assignments as an editor was to cover the season opening of the Metropolitan Opera House—a prestigious responsibility. He rented a tuxedo, hired a limousine, and went to the popular event with pad and pen in hand.

Maury was new to New York, so he was not familiar with enough of the wealthy patrons to identify the occupants of the lavish boxes in the theater. Not intending to fail at his first big assignment, he resorted to slipping around the corridor behind the boxes during the acts of the opera. He noticed that outside the door to each box was a brass plate with names of important people on them. He surmised that the brass plates identified the occupants and went about copying the names onto his pad.

When the event was over, Maury returned to his desk at the office and wrote his editorial about the opening, mentioning the names of the people he had listed from the brass plates. Then he turned his story in by his appointed deadline to make the morning edition and went home.

The following day, Maury was summoned to the office of his employer, Frank Munsey.

“I have just had a telephone call from Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish,” said Munsey. “She has read your account of the Metropolitan premiere. She thought you might be interested to know that you have succeeded in opening half the graves in Woodlawn Cemetery.”

Thus it was that Maury learned—albeit the hard way—that the name of the original box owner is usually left on the door, no matter who may subsequently occupy it.

O Lord, we know that someday you will rescue us from the grave and take us to live with you for all eternity. Thank you for making the thought of death one of joy and not fear. Amen.