When Jesus died, they thought it was over. They hid in the upper room behind closed door and windows. All except Thomas, that is, who said he wanted to go and die with him. Maybe he was out trying to do just that. His own way of saying it was over. Some left Jerusalem on a sad journey home. They had hoped and now they believed what they had hoped in was over. The women in the group went to the tomb carrying spices for the burial of a dead person. It was over except for the formalities and the grief and the healing. There they encountered the darkness of the tomb that became the darkness of the womb. The end was not the end but a new beginning. “Tell my disciples to go to Galilee and they will see me there” Jesus tells them. It is back to the beginning, back to where it started, but not as things were before. The end is the beginning of something new. We know this is true and we embrace this transition at critical times in life. It reassures us and gives us renewed hope when it seems something merely terrible has happened.
In our service for the Burial of the Dead we pray this:
Through Jesus Christ our Lord; who rose victorious from the dead, and comforts us with the blessed hope of everlasting life. For to your faithful people, O Lord, life is changed, not ended; and when our mortal body lies in death, there is prepared for us a dwelling place eternal in the heavens.
Life is changed, not ended. Death is for us the gateway to eternal life. The end of this mortal life is the door we all pass through to begin an eternal life. Jesus has shown us that this is true and has promised that this will be true for us also. The end is not the end but a new beginning.
Losing a loved one, a dear friend, a neighbor or even an acquaintance often is a painful experience. The grief can be deep and long burning. Many of you know this and you know that the grief does not end. We love deeply and we lose deeply. It is the price we pay and would gladly pay again.
In those moments of grief and recurring grief, we might recall the end is not the end but a new beginning for us and our loved ones who have gone before us. Jesus promises that there will be one flock under one shepherd, that he will gather us all together, that there will be a new beginning for all of us.
Meanwhile, let us remain aware of the sacredness of this mortal life and life in all its forms. Every member of this church and all God’s people are infinitely valuable in God’s eyes. God gave his very best for them. We might treat each other with the same very best care while we have the opportunity. In doing so, may we all end well as good and faithful servants of the Lord before we start our new beginning.
Peace and hope be yours,
Fr. Bill+