Not a day goes by that we do not hear the news of someone dying.  Whether it is a single fatality or multiple, we hear about death every day.  Most of the time, we do not know those who have lost their lives; there are other times when we do hear of someone we know who has died.

Regardless of whether I know who has lost life, it always saddens me to hear that kind of news.  You probably feel the same way.  The Bible says that death is an enemy, but one day it will be destroyed.

This past weekend, someone close to me shared in a letter that someone close to her, whom I didn’t know, was gone. Then, I heard a very similar situation on the phone as well.  In addition, I also found out this past weekend that my uncle died.

It is never pleasant news to me, whether I know the person or not.  And, of course, when I do know the person, it becomes very unpleasant news.  Perhaps that is because it is so final. When someone dies, there are no more options; life is over.  Yes, this life is over, but there is a life to come.

The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians said that “if in this life only we have hope, we are of all men most miserable.”  Honestly, if this life was all there was, and nothing else beyond, then what would be the point of anything?  If there was no hope of a future life, truly, there would no reason to live.

It is not only interesting, but really remarkable, that in the Bible many times death is referred to as the word, “sleep.”   Using the word, “sleep” not only softens the harshness of the word “death,” but it also communicates the hope that we as Christians have.

For us, when we die, we are simply sleeping; we will wake when God’s Son from heaven returns.  Until then, as the Bible declares, the dead know nothing, until he returns and then we shall be made alive again.  This time, we shall all be changed; the corrupting in the grave to incorruptible, and those mortals alive at his coming shall be changed to immortals.

The great Hope that Christians have is not a myth, a pipe dream, or some fantastical wish.  It is very real; it is a Hope that is very much alive.  Jesus Christ is going to come back one day, and when he does all those who are born again will meet him in the air, and so shall we ever be with him for all eternity!

So, yes, the news of someone dying is sad, and it does indeed bring sorrow.  But as the Bible says, our sorrow is not like those who sorrow with no hope.  We are sad, but we know, with absolute certainty, what is coming in the future.

He really is coming back.  Today, we are one day closer to that magnificent day that we all so anticipate.  But, until then, we go on living, doing our best to live and enjoy the life God has given us to live, today.

Mike Verdicchio
2012

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