Death: Where is Your Victory

1 Cor 15:  ⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”^[h]

⁵⁵ “Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”^[i]

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Tuesday Reja received news of the death of an uncle.  For those of you that know her, you know that she is named after her four uncles, Robert, Ethridge, Johnny, and Alvin.  Robert, who went by his middle name Oben, and Ethridge, had previously passed away, and with Johnny's passing Tuesday, she has only one remaining namesake.  While Reja and I aren't very close to her extended Mississippi family, I've always admired how they all come together in celebration of family.  Approximately a year ago we drove to Columbia, MS for the funeral of Roberts wife, Billie, and what a remarkable visit it was with family.  Certainly there was a twinge of sadness, but the mood was more one of deep admiration of her commitment to Christ, family, and community, a pattern repeated throughout the entire Beasley family. 

I marvel at how the world deals with the sting and finality of death without the hope found in Christ.  To me, the fact that Christ conquered death is the singular source for all hope in the entire universe.  There is no hope for a joyful life, no hope for friends and family, not even any hope for a national championship for MSU without Christ conquering death.  All hope flows out of this capstone event in all of history. 

So today as Reja and I prepare for a full day of work, followed by a stop at Blue Lake to set up for an Emmaus Walk, then a solemn journey to Hattiesburg late tonight, I actually look forward to the funeral tomorrow.  Not to dwell on the earthly departure of Johnny, but to celebrate his life with family.  A family who above all else loves God and loves each other and out of that love from God, has welcomed me as one of their own, demonstrating God's agape love.  The entire Beasley as well as the Wright family (Reja's mother's family) truly represent God's love and serve as outstanding examples of what God can do through committed Christians.  These families stand out as a living testimony that in spite of our own shortcomings, God's love can overcome even the worst of tragedies and provide hope in the very midst of what the world sees as a hopeless situation.  What a blessing to see God at work!