Thoughts on Christian Hope
Been thinking a lot the past day and a half about death and hope. A close friend is dying (collapsed on Monday night and been on life support with no brain activity ever since).
I am reminded of the false hope we often offer ourselves and each other. "Don't worry. She's not really dead. She's still with us. She'll live forever in our memory." I don't want Kelly to "live forever in my memory". I want her physical life restored. I want her with the ability to laugh, to speak, to love, hug and grab coffee over a good conversation.
Attempts to redefining death by pretending it doesn't exist make me very angry right now. Christianity doesn't redefine death. It defeats it. Jesus defeated it.
The promise of Christianity is resurrection; not redefinition.. Paul (and other writers) talk about Jesus' resurrection as a "first fruits". What we mean by that is what happened to Jesus is what will someday happen to us. Bodily physical resurrection. Not "of the soul". Not a ghost floating around. Not figuratively. But physically. Just like Jesus was. With hands and feet that can been touched. With a body that gets hungry and is recognizable. A full person who has emotion, carries on conversations and relationships. (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20, 21)
When I sit by Kelly's (my friend who is dying) bed. That's what I want. I want to continue the friendship... not in my mind, but in reality. The sting (and power) of death is that it takes that away.
But my religion teaches that death is defeated. In the words of the Psalmist, "It's lost its sting!"
Many Christians I know are fuzzy on this "bodily resurrection" stuff. You hear a lot about the soul or spirit going to be with God. That's NOT what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that there will be resurrection here on earth. People who die before the final resurrection wait patiently (or not so patiently?) for the day. (Revelation 6:9-11) These verses almost provide a vision of the dead dressed up ready for a party and just itchin to be set loose on the dance floor!
In a lot of ways I've never cared too much about the specifics of Bible teaching in this. Now I do.
I am reminded of the false hope we often offer ourselves and each other. "Don't worry. She's not really dead. She's still with us. She'll live forever in our memory." I don't want Kelly to "live forever in my memory". I want her physical life restored. I want her with the ability to laugh, to speak, to love, hug and grab coffee over a good conversation.
Attempts to redefining death by pretending it doesn't exist make me very angry right now. Christianity doesn't redefine death. It defeats it. Jesus defeated it.
The promise of Christianity is resurrection; not redefinition.. Paul (and other writers) talk about Jesus' resurrection as a "first fruits". What we mean by that is what happened to Jesus is what will someday happen to us. Bodily physical resurrection. Not "of the soul". Not a ghost floating around. Not figuratively. But physically. Just like Jesus was. With hands and feet that can been touched. With a body that gets hungry and is recognizable. A full person who has emotion, carries on conversations and relationships. (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20, 21)
When I sit by Kelly's (my friend who is dying) bed. That's what I want. I want to continue the friendship... not in my mind, but in reality. The sting (and power) of death is that it takes that away.
But my religion teaches that death is defeated. In the words of the Psalmist, "It's lost its sting!"
Many Christians I know are fuzzy on this "bodily resurrection" stuff. You hear a lot about the soul or spirit going to be with God. That's NOT what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that there will be resurrection here on earth. People who die before the final resurrection wait patiently (or not so patiently?) for the day. (Revelation 6:9-11) These verses almost provide a vision of the dead dressed up ready for a party and just itchin to be set loose on the dance floor!
In a lot of ways I've never cared too much about the specifics of Bible teaching in this. Now I do.
