Calvary Church

It is early Tuesday morning. I am preparing for the pastoral team meeting. However, I find myself reflecting on this: What would we do without hope in Jesus Christ? This world as we now know it is not as God intended it. It is fallen. It is filled with injustice, sickness and sorrow. Over the past three weeks we have experienced within our church family the deaths of Richard Quandt’s wife Dorothy… of Tony and Andi Morice’s dear son Nick…and now of Angela Costello at only age 21, daughter of Dan and Rosetta Costello. Dan and Rosetta are new at Calvary. And, others from the church are grieving the recent deaths of relatives or friends outside our church.

David spoke of the “valley of the shadow of death” in Psalm 23. David chose a good analogy for the grief process because a valley is deep and long. The valley of grief is filled with so many emotions. And, it takes time to journey through this valley. There are dark days and tears shed the heart is aching over the absence of the loved one. But, for those who have placed their faith in God, there is a great promise. Like a shepherd, the Lord leads His people through the valley of grief. He is there on the dark days. He understands. And, this is what makes all the difference. The Apostle Paul says that followers of Jesus pass through the stages of grief, but not as those who have no hope (I Thess. 4: 13). Out hope is in the reunion that is coming in Christ’s presence from which there will be no more separation forever.

But, how can those who have no trust in God face the death of a loved one? The past two years has seen a revival of hard core atheism as reflected in two current bestsellers. Richard Dawkins wrote “The God Delusion”, and Christopher Hitchens “God Is Not Great”. Both of these men believe the universe is random and meaningless. Final reality is death and emptiness. The relationship with a departed loved one is over forever! Atheism is for some a great theory until your child dies. How will either of these men be able to stand by the coffin of a loved one and find the strength and purpose to go on? Something tells me that the most vocal atheist has to suppress a longing for eternal life when standing by coffin of a loved one. That we exist only to suffer and die goes counter to the deepest instincts of every human heart.

Psalm 23 ends on this triumphant note: “…and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Matthew 7 says we stand on a Solid Rock even in the face of death. Jesus is the Rock. He told the story about the wise person who built his house on the Rock. The rains came. The wind beat against the house, but it stood firm. A follower of Jesus will still be standing even after the “level five” storm of death passes.

Please keep these families in your prayers.