April 19

There are two experiences that every human, of every language and culture, will share: the experiences of birth and death. We don’t remember much about our births, and most of us dread looking forward to our deaths. I’ve thought about all the people who have passed on recently, and I wonder what was going on with them at the moment they left.

But I also think about the survivors, the people who are left to pick up the pieces. How intense is their grief? Do they think, “Well, this is it. I’ll never see So-and-So again,” or do they take comfort in knowing that someday they’ll all be reunited?

David Crosby wrote about this in a 1998 song called, “Time Is the Final Currency.” The first verse describes how, at some point in our lives, we would willingly surrender all the fame, power, and money we have just for one more hour of time to finish out our lives.

            Giving anything to prolong our existence – or a loved one’s continued existence – because we’re not sure what lies beyond death. Let’s face it, no one wants to die, and no one wants to see a loved one die – but we all want to go to a better place. This, some say, has God scratching his head: “What shall I do? Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.”

            But the good news is that there have been many births around here, too. And this brings us to the third verse of David Crosby’s song, in which he describes the nine-month miracle that was the birth of his son.

            Children, it has been said, are proof that God isn’t fed up with humans yet. And the birth of a child evokes a sense of wonder. What will this child grow up to be? What are that child’s gifts and graces? How will this child react to the world in which it was born? The possibilities are seemingly endless.

            And there’s even better news: Death is not the end. We may leave this body and this world behind, but thanks to Jesus and the Resurrection, there’s something far better awaiting us if we but look to Him and accept Him into our hearts. We get to trade in the run-down earthly model for the superb heavenly model.

            How cool is that?

PRAYER: Lord, help us always to remember that we are an Easter people, not just for a day, but for all time. You’ve brought us in, and You will take us home to be with you someday. Help us to live our lives in anticipation of a joyful reunion with You and our loved ones. Amen.