Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

Born Blind
by Ryan Duncan, Crosswalk.com Entertainment Editor

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." – John 9:3

One of my favorite Bible stories appears in John 9, where Jesus heals a man born blind. Take a moment to read the following:

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam"(this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. – John 9:1-8

Every time I read this, I can't help but wonder what went through the mind of the blind man when he heard Jesus. All his life people have been telling him he's cursed, that his blindness is punishment for some sin his family committed. Then, in a single moment, Christ turns his world around. Not only does he absolve him of guilt in front of the disciples, he announces that God is going to display his glory through a blind man's life. Many people read this story and think it's all about how Jesus healed his sight, but I believe it's more about how Christ restored his soul.

Too often we Christians are like the Pharisees of old. We look at people, find something in their life that isn't quite perfect, and make a note of how much they "need God." What we're really saying is, "Look at how messed up this person is, you know it's because they've turned away from God." Just like the disciples did. If you ever find yourself tempted to think that, beware. While the story of John 9 ends with one man receiving sight, it also ends with some who are still blind.           

"Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you." Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." – John 9:35-39

Intersecting Faith and Life: "The gospel declares that no matter how dutiful or prayerful we are, we can't save ourselves. What Jesus did was sufficient." ~Brennan Manning

Further Reading

John 13:34-35

[Judy Harder]

Men & Christian Friendship: It Won't Just Happen on its Own
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.
Proverbs 17:17, NLT

I own many books, but the ones I reference often I keep above my desk at work. One of these is a 1983 edition of David W. Smith's The Friendless American Male. It's a title that, sadly, has only grown more accurate in the last three decades, its content more applicable. Men, especially us hard-working, married-with-children types, are lacking in close biblical friendships. The reasons are varied and several, and it's not my intent in the space of a daily devotional to present or solve them all. Suffice to say that most men I talk with vouch for the lack of quality friendships in their life, even if they speak of different reasons for the condition.

It's something I worry about, something I marvel at when I consider some of the differences between myself and my own father. For example, back when my father was climbing the ladder in the Tucson Real Estate industry and had children the ages mine are now, his weekends were all his own. Tennis in the morning on both Saturday and Sunday. Soaking up sun at the pool or doing yardwork in the afternoons. Watching sports or even working in the evenings. A quarterly fishing trip. Several of these activities involved his friends and acquaintances. It must be pointed out that he didn't know or serve the Lord at this time in his life, but it's also important to note that, to the best of my recollection, we kids weren't starved for his attention or affection. It still seemed like we were close, and had plenty of time together. So, I merely use my father as the model I was shown for what men were expected (allowed?) to do and be socially in the 1970s.

At some point things changed, and yes, in most ways, for the better. Men began leaving their work at work. Being conscious about setting aside time for family activities. Reserving weekends for playing with their kids and going to soccer games rather than hitting the tennis court or the golf links or the lake. But technology, instead of saving us time, only seemed to create more ways in which we could spend it working. Where my father routinely met his buddies for a beverage after work, it's all I can do to rush home, swallow some food, and not leave my wife and kids feeling neglected before I log on for another couple hours of work and then an exhausted collapse into bed. Meeting another dude for a beer or coffee? Seriously, I don't want to laugh, but when? Even if I had a hole in my schedule, what makes me think the person I might invite (even if I knew someone well enough to want to spend time with him) would have time and desire, too? I was heavily involved in our Adult Bible Fellowship at our former church for years, and I can count on one hand the times I did something outside of church with any of the men in that group.

So, something is definitely missing. Somewhere, we went too far. I remember being single and having the privilege to work with two very close friends in our college admissions office, both of whom were newly married. Yet getting them to do anything social outside work was just about impossible. One of them wouldn't even go see a movie with me - one that I was offering to pay for - on the night his wife was busy studying for her nursing final exams. The other wouldn't even ask his wife whether he could put off lawn mowing for one more day to attend a minor league baseball game with a mutual friend who was in town for just one night. What was going on?

Sure, I was tempted to blame their wives for not letting their husbands out to play, but even if there was truth to that notion, it wasn't the issue. The issue was, and is, that men simply are not bonding much these days... that the Bible speaks about friendship and male leadership and iron sharpening iron... and we are either purposefully choosing or unwittingly failing to make bonding and sharpening a priority.

So what do we do?

The only answer I have is: something. For me, that something arrives every March. That's when I and 13 of my friends from college and camp get together for a long weekend of fishing, good food, fantasy baseball drafting, NCAA tournament watching, and most importantly, fellowship. We call it "Draftmas" because it's very much like a holiday for us, and it centers around our fantasy baseball draft and league as a device to draw us all together, give us common footing. But to a man, most would tell you that the baseball is not the point. So what is?

Let's refer back to The Friendless American Male: on page 52 Smith writes, "Close friendships don't just happen. They result from the application of principles recorded throughout the Word of God." He contrasts the kindness and affection that David and Jonathan shared with the "lack of sympathy" and "overt emotional harrassment and condemnation" Job experienced with his pals Zophar, Eliphaz, and Bildad. The difference, Smith says, can be found throughout the Bible in these six principles of male friendship:

1.     God-Centered
2.     Formation of a covenant
3.     Faithfulness
4.     Social involvement
5.     Candor
6.     Respect

Just as Amos 3:3 says, "Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment?", so do we display an intentional commitment to this activity as central to who we are as men, to who we want to be the rest of the year for our families and each other. While having close friends who don't live near me (but whom I'm always in contact with) does, admittedly, sometimes hinder me making new friends locally, it also serves to remind me how making new friends is possible and necessary. And I can see Smith's principles at work in this treasured group: God is indeed at the center of each of our lives; we've formed an agreement to meet together and communicate together around something we all enjoy, and are faithful to that agreement, to God, and to each other. We all fill roles, and are active socially and economically with each other, lending a hand in often amazing ways when needs arise; we speak freely and candidly, and we respect the various issues everyone brings to the table.

Sometimes those issues are big ones: Joblessness. Crises of faith. Being overwhelmed. Economic hardship. Remarriage. Career decisions. Waiting on God. Loneliness. Recently-deceased parents. Autism. Health. I'm already wondering how different this gathering is going to be from past ones. But even when trials are shared, this is never a downer of a man-cation. In fact, I can't wait to get out of town to really bounce ideas and prayers off my friends, really seek out ways we can help each other, while at the same time catching more fish and outbidding them for Albert Pujols.

About five years ago, one of our group told me, "You know this is only going to get harder to keep up the older we get." I disagreed. Several of us are only finding it easier. For one thing, our wives have come to see the difference in their men when they spend this time with each other. Mine practically pushes me out the door even though the event is often close to her birthday weekend. It's not a perfect answer to what I'm missing and seeing so many other men miss in their lives, but it's a start, and even, I realize now, a model.

Intersecting Faith & Life: What common interest can you center a group of Christian men around? It should be an excuse, a starting point, a conversational diving board. While things like sports, fishing, golfing, and other stereotypical male things are good, bear in mind that no one man enjoys all of these activities or subjects, and often, it's a sore spot with him, one that might be the very thing that, deep down, has him feeling like not as much of a "man."

Wives, you can help "wake up" your listless man by hooking him up with his friends (not your friends' husbands on a grown-up play-date, mind you), letting him reconnect with those who share his memories and the activities he used to enjoy. Several healthy couples I know set aside one weekend every year for each person to spend a same-sex getaway with close friends, while also not feeling threatened by the idea of an evening here, an afternoon there causing any damage to the relationship. If anything, it'll make your marriage healthier, and bring you back together with things to talk about and pray for.

Further Reading

1 Samuel 18:1-4; 1 Samuel 19:1-10
The Making of a Friendship
Why Men Need Friends

[Judy Harder]

Cold Showers
by John UpChurch, Senior Editor, BibleStudyTools.com

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" (Luke 10:40)

Every morning for as long as he could, my grandfather slid out of bed before the sun rose and took a cold shower. Now, granted, he lived in the warm climes of southern Alabama, and the waves of heat there appear more like tsunamis of heat. But let me tell you, cold showers in the early morning of southern Alabama feel pretty much the same as cold showers anywhere else. They're cold.

Every evening, my grandfather came back to a house without air conditioning. He did prop a fan in the window, but that seemed more like a concession to his wimpy family than anything he needed. In a house he'd built himself that had little insulation and a tin roof, the fan pretty much blew hot air around.

But he just made it work. These inconveniences weren't a challenge; they were opportunities. No water heater? Take cold showers. Three channels on TV? Talk when nothing's on. No clothes dryer? Hang them up on a line. No phone? Go to your daughter's house and use hers (though I can't remember him ever doing so). Something breaks? Don't buy a new one; fix it.

When I pull myself away from my iPhone, I'm sometimes struck with how different my life is. There's never a drop of cold water anywhere near my shower. My first instinct is to buy what I need, never to make it. In the evenings, I have to force my mind to stay present on my family instead of drifting away to what "important" social media updates I'm missing.

But it's not really the technology differences that hit the hardest. You see, there was a depth to my grandfather that I've found much harder to emulate. I'm often too distracted to get there. He just moved and breathed faith; it naturally flowed from his character. Yet I struggle to stay afloat in an ocean of distractions.

Perhaps those cold showers really would do me some good.

Intersecting Faith and Life: My grandfather, much to the chagrin of his grandsons, loved to play twangy gospel music every weekend. Our peaceful morning slumber would melt away with steel guitars and nasally notes. But this wasn't something he did to annoy us. He just knew what was most important.

This isn't a call to jettison technology (honestly, I can be just as distracted by books and worries as I can by Netflix). Instead, what I think most about my grandfather is his resolve to remember what mattered most. He never cared about what he lacked because he knew what he had. He loved God and learned from His Word. And that satisfied him.

Too often, the busyness of my life keeps me from remembering what he taught.

For Further Reading:

Luke 10:38

Psalms 27:1

[Judy Harder]

Trapped in the Darkness
by Fred Alberti, Salem Web Network Director of Social Media

"...to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me."
Acts 26:18

As I was walking through my nature trail this week I, as I normally do, asked the Lord what I should write this week. As I passed through the chapel area of the trail the sun flashed through the leaves and caught my attention. Light. I had entered the darkness of the woods but that light caught my attention. I "filed" it away and continued my travels through the trail.

Later, I was reading through various news stories of earthquake survivors in China when one particular story jumped out at me and brought back to my mind my earlier encounter with the rising sun. The story was of a middle-aged man named Mr. Shen whose quick thinking to take cover in a doorway saved him from the fate experienced by many of his co-workers.

When interviewed, Mr. Shen recalled shouting to a co-worker to join him in the doorway when the room suddenly collapsed. The next thing he remembered was the sudden darkness that enveloped him.

What struck me in his interview was his statement, "Oh, the darkness, oh, the darkness all over. I didn't know when it was going to end."

There are people that we walk past every day that, without knowing it, are spiritually in the same condition as Mr. Shen; trapped in darkness under the weight of sin.

For Mr. Shen, the darkness crumpled under the hands of the rescuers. After 146 hours his encounter with complete and utter darkness came to an end. That darkness, however, will always leave a mark on his being.

Will you forget the darkness that seeks to crush the hope of those around you?

Intersecting Faith & Life: Find a place of complete and utter darkness and spend at least 15 minutes praying for people you know who have not accepted God's free gift of salvation.

Further Reading

Ephesians 5:8
John 12:46
1 Peter 2:9

[Judy Harder]

Your Dead Will Live
by Debbie Holloway, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

"Your dead will live; their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy" (Isaiah 26:19).

In Luke's account of Christ's resurrection, proclaim to the women: "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!" (24:5-6). This joyous news must have taken them off guard. After all, they came to Jesus' tomb bearing burial spices with which to anoint the lifeless body of their Lord. Instead, they find dazzling angels standing watch next to an empty tomb, and hear news that they will never find Christ in a place of death and darkness.

As Easter draws closer, have you considered which aspects of your life God wants to breathe life into?

Family

Many of us have strained familial relationships that seem only to worsen when we get together for meals and services around the holidays. Do you pray for the members of your family regularly? Are you willing to open up your heart to start loving them the way God loves each and every one of them? Remember,

"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:7).

Friendships

If Christ's work on the cross teaches us anything about friendships, it's that forgiveness and grace trumps all. After all, mere hours before his gruesome death, Jesus was ignored, abandoned, denied, and betrayed by his closest friends. He could have equally been speaking of Peter, a man in his inner circle, when he begged on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Yet, even after being left alone and misunderstood, Christ still made the ultimate act of love for his friends (and the world).

"Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves" (Romans 12:10).

Work

Often our "good" side is saved for our friends and loved ones, while our places of work get the short (or grumpy) end of the stick. As you ponder the work Christ did on the cross, and the glory of his resurrection, remember that our work can be a beautiful echo of his perfect work, holy and pleasing to God.

"For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:10-12).

Intersecting Faith and Life: What area of your life needs to come alive in honor of Easter? How can you seek Christ daily in your relationships and duties?

Further Reading

Book of Titus

[Judy Harder]

Give Thanks Today
by Ryan Duncan, Crosswalk.com Entertainment Editor

Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. – 1 Chronicles 16:8

I have a system for writing devotionals. First I start with a funny or emotional story about some event in my past. Next, I'll usually drop in a Bible reference that loosely coincides with my experience. Finally, I'll finish off with how I learned more about God as a result. Simple, effective, and clean.

I'd like to try something a little different with today's devotional. Instead of telling a story, I'd simply like to give thanks. I don't thank God enough for the things He has given me; usually I'm too busy asking for more. So today, as awkward as it might be, I'd like to publicly thank Him for all He has done, starting with my family. Thank you, God, for my family.

Thank you for my job.
Thank you for providing for me in more ways than one.
Thank you that I have food in my pantry.
Thank you that I have clean water to drink.
Thank you for giving me a place to sleep at night.
Thank you that I have clothes to wear.
Thank you that I have friends who care about me.
Thank you that I have a Church where I can freely worship.
Thank you that I have a copy of your Word available to read.
Thank you that I am healthy.
Thank you for the ability to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell.
Thank you for the sun, the moon, and the stars.
Thank you for the birds in the air.
Thank you for the fish in the sea.
Thank you for the animals all across the globe.
Thank you for your Grace, which I do not deserve.
Thank you for sending your Son, who died for my sins.

I could go on, there is so much more I'd like to list. Instead, I'd like to pass this spirit of gratitude on to you. Today, remember to give thanks for the ways God has blessed you, and think about all the things He has done. Big and small, meaningful or bizarre, write them out or say them aloud. I think the list will grow longer than you would believe.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Write out your blessings on a sheet of paper. See for yourself what God has done in your life. 

Further Reading

Psalms 45

[Judy Harder]

A Springtime Mystery
by Katherine Britton

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
Romans 1:20

When was the last time you wondered if spring would ever come? Not in the ironic sense - really wondered if winter might last forever, something like the 100 years of winter in Narnia. My guess is never. Most of America lives in the reality of four seasons, and we expect the Earth to naturally cycle from winter to spring to summer to fall. We expect trees to unfurl new leaves this time of year because they're supposed to.

But what if they didn't? What if the trees bloomed in winter when their new leaves would freeze, or what if their flowers matured into hornets' nests instead of apples? What if they didn't bloom at all?

In his autobiographical work, Orthodoxy, G. K. Chesterton remembers his journey from agnosticism to faith including such nonsensical questions. Before he became the great 20th century apologist, he was a man confined to the world of determinism, where the natural world was governed by impersonal laws or nothing. But observing spring outside his window, he was struck by the wonderful fact that for some reason, trees do indeed bloom into fruit.

"They [materialists/determinists] talked as if the fact that trees bear fruit were just as necessary as the fact that two and one trees make three. But it is not... You cannot imagine two and one not making three. But you can easily imagine trees not growing fruit..."

"I had always vaguely felt facts to be miracles in the sense that they were wonderful: now I began to think them miracles in the stricter sense that they were willful. I mean that they were, or might be, repeated exercises of some will. In short, I had always believed that the world involved magic: now I thought that perhaps it involved a magician." (Orthodoxy)

I owe Chesterton a great debt, because he taught me to be amazed at everyday grace. After all, how often do we marvel that the sky is blue (or grey) instead of orange or electric pink? Yet again, familiarity breeds contempt, and we forget what incredible world this "magician" made and keeps in order. Like children who see the same magic trick one too many times, we stop wondering "how did he do that?" and are bored until we see something new.

I use the term "magician" loosely - God is no mere conjurer of tricks, and Jesus didn't feed the 5,000 just to wow the crowd. But I wonder that we lose our wonder of this world, even in its fallen state. As Paul writes in Romans, the evidence of God's incredible, "eternal power" and transcendent, "divine nature" is right in front of our eyes. How do we forget a God so great that He makes trees bloom?

As Virginia turns to spring again, I can't help but look outside and be amazed. To paraphrase Chesterton, the fact that grass is really green - and so perfectly suited for springtime sports - truly is a miracle, a supernaturally guided fact. What an awesome God.

Intersecting Faith & Life: When was the last time you took a look outside? Consider that "the heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalm 8:1) and the Earth is the work of his hands. Are you properly inspired to worship their Creator?

Further Reading:

Psalms 8:1
Psalms 33:5
Genesis 8:22

[Judy Harder]

Easter: All That Matters vs. All I Live For
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

He has risen, just as He said.
Matthew 28:6, NIV

What would I ever do if someone I knew came back from the dead? Especially if he had said he would, and if he had spent a couple nights in a grave already?

Seriously, what would I do? What would you do? Wouldn't I blab to everyone I know - and most people I don't - about this miraculous event? Heck, I tell everyone when I'm feeling under the weather or when I saw a good movie.

Then factor in that the same guy was now telling us that because of what he had done, none of the rest of us would ever have to suffer death. What's more, simply by believing what we had seen, no matter our background, history, race, or education, we could restore our long-lost connection with the Almighty, and live forever.

Man... unfortunately, I'm having a hard time conceiving what I would do. Or, even if I can conceive it, I can't quite believe it, because honestly, I have seen this, I do believe this, and yet my daily reaction to it doesn't exactly line up with The Acts of the Apostles.

Has the news of a resurrected savior really become passe?

Why don't I want to read Acts?

What am I afraid of?

That I'll be rejected?

(He who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 4:).

That I won't be powerful enough?

(God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline (2 Tim. 1:7)).

That the good news isn't relevant enough?

Salvation and the message of the resurrection, the miracle of born again-ness, is a salve to all wounds.

This Easter I'll join choruses like "He's Alive" while pondering and praising the miracle, but when it comes time for the next day of my life to begin, a day and a life that means nothing if not lived for my Savior, it'll be all about me again and my troubles and making my way and who cut me off and what I have to get done and who I don't like and what can we complain about today.

Yuck.

I want this Easter to be real. Because I did see it happen (so to speak; the resulting spread of those who ran to the corners of the earth to tell the story with no regard for personal safety is traceable to this day), it is real, and I'm cheating life and people God loves if I'm not shouting those facts from every corner and rooftop I can find. Everything else is just window dressing; "Christian living" is often just how we pass all our extra time in this country where so many of our basic needs are so easily met, and where we can cordon ourselves off from each other. What matters in life?

That there is life, and...
how it came about that there might never be death, but...
there are still dead men walking.
Really, why else are we here if not to keep excitedly shouting the truth of the miracle as if we'd just experienced it with our own eyes yesterday?

Intersecting Faith & Life: For the longest time, I've felt a leading in my heart to launch out into a complete study of the book of Acts, something I've never fully done. For some reason, I continue to put it off. But in my quest this year to make Easter real, I'm beginning a study of what those who witnessed the resurrection couldn't keep themselves from going out and doing. Care to join me?

Further Reading
Acts 1:1

[Judy Harder]

Is Doubting a Sin?
by Debbie Holloway, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

And [Jesus] said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? (Luke 24:38)

There's no doubt about it: faith is a gift. To be more specific, faith is a gift... and not all of us are born with this gift. Many of us have been through trials and struggles that make blind faith and unwavering belief difficult, almost impossible. Have you ever been lied to by a trusted friend? Let down by a parent? Abused by someone who was meant to care for you? Chances are, the answer is yes. Chances are, doubting God is sometimes (or often) something with which you struggle.

Many of us grow up hearing the refrain from James, "the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind" (James 1:6). Many of us are told over and over again that there is no room for doubt or skepticism in the Kingdom of God. But is that truly the message portrayed in Scripture? Should we really feel the sting of shame over asking questions and expressing hesitation?

Jesus' response to doubt was often, why? He proposed neither a condemnation nor an accolade, but a dialogue. Jesus cared about the hearts, motives, and fears of those who questioned him, who struggled with unbelief. Practically everyone to whom Jesus ministered expressed genuine doubt or asked provoking questions. But Jesus healed them anyway. Jesus answered their questions (John 3:1). Jesus told them things about themselves, causing them to look at life in a new way (John 4:7). When extraordinary faith was shown (Luke 7:1) Jesus was astounded and overjoyed. But he certainly did not condemn all others of lesser faith. He knew that it takes time for people to overcome cultures of fear and questions.

God has big plans for us, plans to bless us richly through belief and faith. This is evidenced by what Jesus told Thomas:

"Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29).

Christ doesn't deny Thomas' belief or turn him out on the street in penalty for his doubt. Rather, he stresses again the blessings that will be available to all men through the power of faith and belief. God has such rich things in store for us – but we cannot see them all yet. Jesus wanted to drill that into his followers since he knew he would not be with them physically for much longer.

Take heart and remember, doubting can be a step toward faith – it is not the opposite of faith. And remember also,

"Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting" (Jude 1:21).

Intersecting Faith and Life: Are you struggling with doubts? Is a fellow brother or sister dealing with hard questions? Remember, God calls for mercy for the doubters, not judgment.

Further reading

Psalms 31:1

[Judy Harder]

He Defeated Death
by Sarah Phillips

Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. (John 21: 12 - 14)

Recently, my husband and I attended a forum to discuss the increasingly controversial issues surrounding end of life decisions. The event was intended to approach the topic from a Christian worldview, drawing on the Christian teachings of the dignity of human life.

Most of us came expecting experts to delve into the ways we can ethically preserve a person's life in a culture all too quick to promote what Pope John Paul II coined "the culture of death." This aspect of end-of-life issues is a very important one, and it was discussed at length. But before we got to those topics, a local trauma surgeon gave the first talk. And her words sunk in deeply with the entire room.

She highlighted the reality that death is part of human life, and when it's a person's time, it's okay to die. She offered ways families can come to recognize - and find peace - when that time comes.

I can't lie - these words were hard to hear even though we all, deep down, know we are mere mortals. Nobody wants to die. Nobody wants to think about death. It is strangely easier to discuss heavy issues such as battling diseases or unethical procedures than to discuss the need to accept natural death.

Undoubtedly, part of our hesitancy to discuss the topic is fueled by our own sense of self-preservation and fear of loss. But I also think the topic is difficult because as Christians we celebrate life - and rightly so. We are people of hope, people who cherish the gift of life and the blessings that come with it. For centuries, Christians have been among the first to defend life and promote the dignity of even the tiniest, most fragile person.

But the trauma surgeon's talk about preparing for natural death does not run contrary to being people of hope. She spoke these words in light of our true hope: Jesus Christ. She highlighted that while we should not prematurely end our earthly lives - because, yes this life is a gift - there is eternal life with Jesus Christ awaiting those who believe. Our time here is a time of preparation for the fullness of life in Christ. She said (to paraphrase), "Natural death of a loved one or even our own is the time we are called to put into practice that faith we've developed year after year as church attendees, deepening our relationship with the Lord."

During Easter week, we celebrate the resurrection of the risen Christ. Jesus Christ faced all the loneliness, pain, and fear that comes with death and conquered it. And as we read the Easter scriptures, we see that he did not disappear or abandon his disciples after the resurrection, but walked among them in his glorified state to offer further hope and instruction. So now, as we celebrate this profound moment in salvation history, we must ask ourselves: Do we truly believe He has conquered death and will never abandon us? As Christians, we can say yes with confidence.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Do you know someone who is ill or even grieving a loss? Find a way to be Christ's comforting presence for that person this week even if it's through a small gesture like a card.

Further Reading:

Acts 4: 1 - 12
John 21: 1 - 14