Childhood events have a direct impact upon the way we view life as an adult. When I reflect upon my Easters of long ago, a single memory always rises to the surface: I was between eight and ten years old, Sunday School was over and I, along with a group of boys, was preparing to march inside and be a part of Big Church. Mother had ordered me a new outfit – a pair of blue pants and a pink shirt — through Spiegel’s catalog. At least twenty years before the debut of the song, I felt like Glen Campbell’s fictional dreamer:
…I’m gonna be where the lights are shinin’ on me
Like a rhinestone cowboy
Riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo
And, then it happened! With the sun shining brightly on a wonderful Florida day, the excited chatter was pierced by the remarks of a tall, thin, balding man. Somewhat a recluse, the brother of a prominent lady in the church, rumor had it that he had once been a preacher. His words fell like a dark cloud on the bubbling happiness: “Boys, this day is always a sad time for me, my little girl died on Easter.” Today, looking back and knowing the pain of having lost a young child; I want to rush over, comfort him and offer hope. At that time, the doors opened, my exuberance vanished, and I made my way inside with two opposing cognitions that I was incapable of sorting out until much later in life: Easter is a time of glorious hope and joy! This unusual man’s hope has been shattered and he is filled with sadness! In today’s blog, I will address this conundrum through the lens of Scripture, my present situation, and our glorious hope.
Lens of Scripture
The heart of the issue: …if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world (1 Corinthians 15:13-19 NLT).
An Unshakeable Truth: …Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died…But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power.For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23-25 NLT).
My Present Situation
Last week began with the normal vacillations in Linda’s behavior, but on Wednesday things seemed to brighten. When I visited, she was beautifully dressed, her face was radiant, and she was in a perky mood. Later, while viewing a family album with her youngest sister, she pointed to my picture and flashed that beautiful smile. I went to bed filled with joy.
She awakened on Thursday with a swollen thumb, was unsteady on her feet, and went back to bed for several hours. She is doing better; however, the results from diagnostics and lab work will not come back until Monday.
During Saturday’s visit, she entrusted me to hold her baby doll. When I began singing a lullaby, the look of joy on her face told me she was reliving a similar moment from over five decades ago. Of greater importance, for a few seconds the fog lifted and we checked our spiritual pulse:
- “Do you ever think about Heaven?” She answered, “Yes!”
- “Would you like to go to Heaven and live with Jesus?” She answered, “Yes!”
- Then looking me straight in the face, she asked, “Would you?” I answered, “Yes!”
Our Glorious Hope
Revisiting my boyhood Easter, I am sure that sitting by my parents, I heard an old song that still thrills my heart:
Up from the grave He arose!
With a mighty triumph o’er His foe;
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever with His saints to reign,
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!
Ron Harvard Ministries 