10 August 2006

Again from "The Cross in Our Context" by Douglas John Hall.

The literature of the Judeo-Christian tradition...takes death so seriously as the end that it can only counter this ending by a beginning that is not found tucked away within this ending in some natural way but must be introduced de novo as God's possibility for us, not a possibility residing already within us. Grace and not nature counters this ending.
But it is countered. And its countering is already anticipated existentially and eschatologically whenever trust in the God of Golgotha takes us beyond the incapacitating fear of death and offers us some semblance of new life - some new courage to live.

So in our story the end does come and it is the end. But the story goes on by the grace of God and that alone. Rather than jump to the notion of the end of physical life, what if we simply look at this within the grand miracle of forgiveness. The end of a relationship comes...it is dead and gone...broken beyond repair in the eyes of those involved, and then there is a movement of forgiveness where hearts are moved through this death and to the surprise of all, life emerges. It is new life because it is not what was previously. Also it is new because it is being shaped by a power that was not present with such life-giving force. Our God is not ruled by death. Quite the contrary, we must trust this God who has dominion over death even when we so quickly let death overwhelm us. As always, this is much easier written about then walked through. But our inability or unwillingness to walk into and through death doesn't mean that God's dominion that we know in Christ, Jesus, is not present as a power for new life.

Connection: Sometimes, new life comes by stepping backwards into what was the death of us and taking hold of it in another way. Forgiveness and reconciliation are two ways to reach into death's power be present with the resurrected Lord. Within this day death will try to lead us and direct our ways. We are invited to step in a contrary way through those times.

Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let this day be blessed with your life that spring to fullness even as we are able to see nothing more coming among us. Amen.