Today in Acts - Revelation we began working our way through the book of Revelation. Chapter 1 is jam packed with imagery...so much we didn't get through it all. We did get to the greeting which contains the following: "...and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first born from the dead..." The part I didn't get to, but wish I had, is later in the chapter... "I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."
When I arrived home this evening I went through my rituals. I greeted my kids, my wife, grabbed something to eat...and headed out back to the deck for some peaceful "meditation". I ended up calling my friend in New York, who had some bad news to share. One of his friends, who was diagnosed with cancer a few years back, had taken a turn for the worse. She was in the hospital, a mere shadow of her prior self. Her body frail, malfunctioning, the only part still recognizable were the eyes. I could tell he was pretty shook up as he told me she most likely wouldn't last the week. She doesn't get many visitors, and the flowers sent to her room reveal a sad denial of her situation.... the card reads "We love you...get well".
Death has reared it's ugly head too much lately. Pictures daily remind me of the daughter we helplessly watched die last August. Aunts and uncles prematurely gone...loved ones left to try and pick up the pieces. So as I prepared for today's class, the words of chapter 1 prophetically pulled me in. I went to the library and found The Return of the King - the scene where Aragorn and company enter into the realm of the dead. I can't help but think of the Creed... "and he descended into hell". "The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead and the dead keep it." If there is any cinematic representation of hades...this is it. The realm of the dead, invaded by a king in disguise, who displays his blade, the symbol of power and authority, and reveals his true identity.
This is the hope of Easter. In Jesus Christ God has entered into the depths of hades...throwing the gates open...leading his people out. So we need not fear...we can look death straight in the eye... staring it down. We can stand at the graves of our loved ones... weeping and mourning... with the assurance that death does not get the final word.
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."
2 comments:
Good sir, Daniel and I sit side-by-side in the student center lab at 2 AM reading your words.
A few classes ago, in Major World Religions, professor Shim posed the question of death on the class (I think the unit was on Islam). Is it a natural part of human life? Did death enter human existence in the garden?
Student: Well, Christ became a man and died so it must be a part of life?
And then someone pointed out that everything Christ stood for in the crucifixion was a battle, and victory, against death - that he descended and rose up. Basically, he won.
"We can stand at the graves of our loved ones... weeping and mourning... with the assurance that death does not get the final word."
but for our unbelieving loved ones, is death the final word for them?
(this may be an immature question, but i'm frustrated with the fact that i believe it is[the final word]. with most deaths i'm able to take comfort in knowing that they are still 'living'. but for the recent deaths of unbelieving loved ones, what comfort is there?)
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