Saying 'Yes' to His Love

Last night, I stayed up laying in bed thinking about my Auntie Baby. I thought about what it must be like to be in the presence of Jesus in all His blinding glory (I can hear the collective gasps of all you soul-sleep believers). Part of me actually was jealous and perhaps this is in part what Paul was feeling about death and his yearning to be with His Lord. I also thought about my cousin Andre, who was the center of my auntie's love and care. And then I felt a mixed bag of regret and curiousity. A couple weeks ago, my mom informed me that Auntie Baby wanted to talk to me. My mom gave us the phone number to the nursing facility and I had meant to call her, but never did (regret). I wonder what she wanted to tell me (curiousity). My father told me this evening that Auntie Baby had expressed missing me and perhaps just wanted to hear my voice. Maybe we would have ended up just encouraging each other in our respective journeys. I look forward continuing that discussion with her at the Big Party (yearning). In the meantime we will miss her at our family gatherings.

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"Our life is a short opportunity to say 'yes' to God's love. Our death is full coming home to that love. Do we desire to come home? It seems that most of our efforts are aimed at delaying this homecoming as long as possible.

Writing to the Christians at Philippi, the apostle Paul shows a radically different attitude. He says: "I want to be gone and be with Christ, and this is by far the stronger desire--and yet for your sake to stay alive in this body is a more urgent need." Paul's deepest desire is to be completely united with God through christ and that desire makes look at deat as a 'positive gain.' HIs other desire, however, is to stay alive in the boyd and fulfill his mission. That will offer him an opportunity for fruitful work.

We are challenged once again to look at our lives above. When, indeed, Jesus came to offer us full communion with God, by making us partakers of his death and resurrection, what else can we desire but to leave our mortal bodies and so reach the final goal of our existence? The only reason for staying in this valley of tears can be to continue the mission of Jesus who has sent us into the world as his Father sent him into the world. Looking from above, life is a short, offen painful, mission, full of occasions to do fruitful work for God's kingdom, and death is the open door that leads into the hall of celebration where the King himself will serve us.

It all seems such an upside-down way of being! But it's the way of Jesus and the way for us to follow. There is nothing morbid about it. On the contrary, it's a joyful vision of life and death. As long as we are in teh body, let us care well for our bodies so that we can bring the joy and peace of God's kingdom to those we meet on our journey. But when the time has come for our dying and death, let us rejoice that we can go home and be united with the One who calls us the beloved.

- Henri Nouwen's - Here And Now