I recently attended a political prayer breakfast and was honored to be asked to read a selection of Scripture of my choosing. For those of you who know me, you know that Colossians 3:1-4 is my passage for such occasions. It doesn't exactly rally the political troops, but does hopefully put their political causes in proper perspective. With the Easter season in mind, I wrote a post on this topic for a DC-based political site: http://www.politicalstorm.com/political-religion/.
Unfortunately, as you might expect from a political prayer breakfast, there was a clear confusion between their political mission and Christ's earthly mission. When speaking of unethical journalists and the smear campaigns against their candidates, one politician asked the gathering to pray for these journalists "for they know not what they do." This is the language of Christ, referring to those who were crucifying Him. No politician is being crucified. We have no right to claim the unique cause of Christ with our own. No one stood with Him on that day. We were those the Savior prayed for, not those doing the praying. These lines must be maintained!
A few days later, we had the first official gathering of our newly-named Meetup group, "The Real Happy Hour." A young man from our church and I were joined again by our unbelieving, married friends (referred to in past posts). After a very heavy conversation last time, this talk was more light-hearted. The notable exception was a brief discussion on death. The husband, a former Army Ranger, didn't believe that death was worth thinking about because we can't do anything about it. The wife saw value in thinking about it in order to mentally prepare for it.
A brief thought: If we can't change something--say, the inevitability of death--does that mean that we shouldn't think about it? Or should we think about it in order to better understand it, cope with it, and somehow, to overcome it? Death, as horrible as it is, prompts us to consider why death is a pervasive reality and search for a hope that transcends death. Let us not flee such thoughts or discussions!
Speaking of death (as I so often do), I spent three days this past week in Eau Claire training for casualty notifications (knocking on a loved one's door with a soldier dies). We watched realistic portrayals about what such notifications would look like. I won't describe them here, but my heart was persistently squeezed like a sponge. Like the many funeral duties I have performed, I find solace in such duties in my relationship with the One who has defeated death for us. On the lone, Spring-like day I was in Eau Claire, I ran through the city and over some of the many bridges that stretch across it's rivers. And on that run, I ran as one spared from death's sting and the grave's victory.
Last night, we had three young couples to our house for dinner. One couple only came to truly know the Lord in the last two years. I love spending time with those who so vividly remember what it is like to be drawn from death to life. After dinner, I preached our Good Friday service at church and was grateful to see a married couple from our local Toastmasters chapter--Unitarians--in the pews. I prayed that the Lord would make me clear in presenting the hard and wonderful truths of the Gospel, and I trust He enabled me to do so for the sake of these friends and the glory of His name.
Tomorrow, my family's Easter dinner will be open to any who do not have a place to go. So far, we have three people signed up and fervently hope for more. We will dine upon lamb whilst remembering the Lamb who was slain for our sin and now reigns on high. If Christ is indeed raised and if we are indeed raised with Him, then neither politics nor death have the final claim upon us. Our lives are hidden with Christ in God. You may not believe that yet. But when He appears, so will you also appear with Him in glory. You will know it then. Amen and amen.
