"Even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me."
Psalms 23:4
Probably on the heels of the holiday season, this reflection may be out of place for some. What prompted me to share it is the realization that though there is a time for everything, we never decree it. And though the air is filling with a seemingly festive mood, there are many who struggle for life and no shortage of those who must digest the mourning by bowing to the divine will after crossing the valley of the shadow of death. And it is precisely of her that I wish to speak and express closeness and transfer brotherly encouragement, the result of personal experiences, even quite recent ones, for “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalms 34:1).
When I find myself attending a funeral, I usually witness scenes of externalizations of grief that in some cases border on despair; differently in the case of a believer, where I witness a sendoff of an entirely different tenor. Even with mournful hearts and eyes wet with tears, the spirit of believing family members manages on the certainty of faith to soar on the wings of the victory Jesus brought back over death and bestowed on those who trust in Him. The air is imbued with a consolation that transcends human understanding, as a veil envelops all present, believers and non-believers alike. Some feel displaced to witness a ceremony that rather focus on the life of the deceased, dwells on their faith and exalts their leader and fulfiller Christ Jesus. The memory of the faith lived and the sufferings faced and overcome through faith enlivens the image of the departed loved one and leaves an image of him or her known to many and unknown to others.
Anyone who has lived through these moments knows that sadness is touched and a lump in the throat chokes any possible desire to say something. Suddenly they rescue an ancient song, “I know that in heaven Jesus will take me ...,” instilling hope and heartening the afflicted. The intoned words of the song become a personal statement, reflecting even those who at the moment have left the earthly hotel and fallen asleep in the Lord. Those who do not know the Scriptures, while perceiving something new and different, struggle to orient themselves, to turn their gaze to the transcendent in an effort of faith. Here then, the reading of some verses of Scripture, such as those about the New Jerusalem seen by John or the valley of the shadow of death traversed by the praying man of the Psalms, break the skepticism of the cold heart and of those who are striving to remain indifferent. You realize then that at the moment when men lack words, God's word echoes and shakes the slumbering lives distracted by today's living, and in the presence of death someone begins to question.
“There shall be no more death, nor weeping, nor sorrow,” resounds from Revelation (21:4). Every day down here we confront it, face it without flinching from the strength that comes from faith in the Lord. The greeting of those who have fallen asleep in the Lord says that that is what awaits each one. How appropriate it is to think about it with the certainty of the resurrection. The believer's life cannot disregard that day, indeed it should be lived in the projection of eternity with God and the redeemed. Only such an attitude can make comprehensible words like “Do not be sad” or “Let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:1), capable of instilling the strength to face the pain of a departure with the dignity of one who knows that he has fought the good fight and that a crown of glory awaits him. It happens more, as Psalm 34 declares, “I will bless the LORD at all times.” The sadness vanishes, the lump in the throat melts away, as tears line the face, hands are raised to heaven, and a song of praise rises from the heart. As the good seed in the earth dies to bear fruit, each time the seed of a life is transformed into something glorious: a legacy of witnessing becomes evangelization, proclamation of the good news that Jesus died, rose again and is Lord of our lives. Let us breathe in this hope.
Weekly Bible Reading Plan #51
December 16, Amos 7-9; Revelation 8
December 17, Obadiah; Revelation 9
December 18, Jonah; Revelation 10
December 19, Micah 1-3; Revelation 11
December 20, Micah 4-5; Revelation 12
December 21, Micah 6-7; Rev. 13
December 22, Nahum; Revelation 14
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