2020 started off like no other year I can remember. Before the first month was done, my father and a famous celebrity athlete were dead. In the third month, we’re facing an unprecedented pandemic. It’s as though God was issuing wake-up calls in the first quarter of 2020 on three different levels if you will: local, national, global. At the local level my father's death reminded my extended family and some friends that our time on this little planet is limited and will come to an end. On a national level the death of Kobe Bryant was a reminder for many thousands (if not millions) of people of this reality. Of course the Corona virus takes this message global (and amazingly the media is hyping this more than the death of Kobe, but I digress into possibly fodder for another post). So yeah, I’ll remember 2020 for sure, and we’re just barely a quarter of the way through the year! Unlike the world that perceives these things as random tragic occurrences, we know better. God is in control, and all is well (with my soul).
My dad was 88 years old and had been in hospice care since August. We knew he was going to die. However, it was still devastating for me personally. Anyone with a loving relationship with their parents can relate. He lived a long and productive life on many levels. He left a loving spouse and children and a legacy of being there for any of us if needed. A large emotional and physical void now exists. You only have one dad. When you lose a parent at my age, it also puts the mirror of mortality right in front of your face. It’s one thing to understand intellectually you’re going to die some day, it’s another to feel it. Especially when all of a sudden people are commenting on how much I look like or sound like him.
It is also tough as a believer to reconcile what commonly occurs at funerals/memorial services with the reality of life after death. I’m referring to the dynamic where just about every late lamented loved one is surely in Heaven. It doesn’t matter what kind of life they lived, or what they thought about Jesus (if even known); they were a darn good person (at least comparatively) and we loved them - so they’ve earned their shuttle ride to the Celestial City. That’s a synopsis of the theology of far too many these days. Of course we know there’s a bit more to it than that. And as my family (other than my wife and kids) have not accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, you can imagine my angst at the real possibility of confronting some of these delusions.
I largely feel that Believers think about eternity constantly. If you’re a true follower of Christ you understand that actions have eternal consequences, therefore the concept is often in the forefront of your thinking. Especially as it relates to what happens after one dies. On the other hand, the world is typically concerned with living for the moment. And when I say moment I would include the lifetime of an individual, as our lives are but a moment in the grand scheme. All that matters is how much stuff you can accumulate and how much fun you can have. Of course most good folks would also agree we should help those less fortunate than ourselves, however it is optional as it is our life to live as we see fit. The only time eternity commands real attention from these people is when someone they care about dies; sometimes not even then. Unfortunately, they often think the wrong things. They often conjure up what I would refer to as a personal semi-universalism: i.e. everyone they have fond feelings for will end up in heaven. This would include people they don’t even know, as long as friends of theirs “vouch” for them (“...you didn’t know Travis, but he was a great guy. He had his problems (drugs, fornication, blasphemy) but he would watch my pet Ferret anytime I needed him. We’ll definitely meet again up there”). I say semi because these same folks will agree that not everyone goes to heaven (at least they got that right), because of course Hitler, Dahmer, and people that abuse little kids are going to Hell. More succinctly: those I like are probably going to heaven; those I don’t may end up in Hell. Even more succinctly: I’m (or you, or all us) are the final arbiters; yeah, it doesn’t work that way. Jesus will decide and we shouldn’t be surprised at His decision, as it has all been laid out for us in His Word.
So yeah, this year is already one for the ages. Pandemics are a relatively rare occurrence and my father's passing is even rarer (once in the history of the world). But life is for the living; so we go on. Those of us who trust in Jesus go on with Hope. Knowing ultimately we will experience a place without tears or fear. Those who don't, go on as with blind instinct; like a herd of antelope that watch one of their own snagged by a lion, then just start pushing forward again as if nothing happened. If people don't heed God's wakeup call they too will be snagged for eternity by the one that roams the earth as a lion looking to devour the ones "left behind". Graciously, God allowed my family and I to share the Gospel with my dad toward the end of his early life. And during the memorial service and surrounding family/friends gatherings I wasn’t faced with much of the “pie in the sky” theology (maybe “whistling past the graveyard” theology would be a more fitting description). In fact, I was able to share the Gospel and answer many questions from my brother that clearly emanated from our fathers passing and the concept of eternity. So a sad situation from our human vantage point is surrounded with hope. That is some real comfort in these troubling times.
