Sixty
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series IV, Cycle B
Sixty
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away." (vv. 1-4)
In Straight Talk to Men and Their Wives, Dr. James Dobson told about a colleague who died after serving on the university medical faculty at Children's Hospital for more than 25 years. Dobson had worked with the man at the hospital. During the deceased man's career as a professor, he had earned the admiration of his peers and the appreciation of his patients. He was especially respected for his research and contribution to medical knowledge. According to most accepted standards, this doctor had reached the zenith of success within his chosen field. He enjoyed the accompanying status and financial rewards of his accomplishments.
Dobson explained that at the staff meeting following the man's death, a colleague from the doctor's department read a five-minute eulogy. The chairman then followed tradition and invited the entire staff to stand for one minute of silence in memory of the deceased doctor. Dobson had no idea what the other staff members contemplated during the next sixty seconds, but he was thinking, "Lord, is this what it all comes down to? We sweat and worry and labor to achieve a place in life, to impress our fellow men with our competence. We take ourselves so seriously, overreacting to the insignificant events of each passing day. Then finally, even for the brightest among us, all these experiences fade into history, and our lives are summarized with a five-minute eulogy and sixty seconds of silence. It hardly seems worth the effort, Lord."
Dobson was also struck by the inability of the faculty as a whole to deal with the questions raised by their friend's death. These 250 learned men and women struggled with many questions: What happened to their friend after death? Would he live again? Would they see him on the other side? Why was he born? Were his deeds observed and recorded by a living God? Is that God interested in people in a personal way? Is there meaning to life beyond investigative research and professorships and expensive automobiles? Their silent response seemed to symbolize their inability to cope with those issues.
But Dobson experienced a wave of relief enveloping himself as he thought about the good news -- the message and meaning of the cross. Sure, from the moment we take our first breath we are on a journey to take our last. But death is not the end of life. It is, rather, the grand beginning of a life that will never end.
When John envisions a New Jerusalem in the book of Revelation, he hears a voice quoting the prophet Isaiah: "Death will be no more." John understands that Christ has overcome death, which brings life to those who profess belief. There is more to life than our accomplishments. And there is more to death than sixty seconds of silence.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away." (vv. 1-4)
In Straight Talk to Men and Their Wives, Dr. James Dobson told about a colleague who died after serving on the university medical faculty at Children's Hospital for more than 25 years. Dobson had worked with the man at the hospital. During the deceased man's career as a professor, he had earned the admiration of his peers and the appreciation of his patients. He was especially respected for his research and contribution to medical knowledge. According to most accepted standards, this doctor had reached the zenith of success within his chosen field. He enjoyed the accompanying status and financial rewards of his accomplishments.
Dobson explained that at the staff meeting following the man's death, a colleague from the doctor's department read a five-minute eulogy. The chairman then followed tradition and invited the entire staff to stand for one minute of silence in memory of the deceased doctor. Dobson had no idea what the other staff members contemplated during the next sixty seconds, but he was thinking, "Lord, is this what it all comes down to? We sweat and worry and labor to achieve a place in life, to impress our fellow men with our competence. We take ourselves so seriously, overreacting to the insignificant events of each passing day. Then finally, even for the brightest among us, all these experiences fade into history, and our lives are summarized with a five-minute eulogy and sixty seconds of silence. It hardly seems worth the effort, Lord."
Dobson was also struck by the inability of the faculty as a whole to deal with the questions raised by their friend's death. These 250 learned men and women struggled with many questions: What happened to their friend after death? Would he live again? Would they see him on the other side? Why was he born? Were his deeds observed and recorded by a living God? Is that God interested in people in a personal way? Is there meaning to life beyond investigative research and professorships and expensive automobiles? Their silent response seemed to symbolize their inability to cope with those issues.
But Dobson experienced a wave of relief enveloping himself as he thought about the good news -- the message and meaning of the cross. Sure, from the moment we take our first breath we are on a journey to take our last. But death is not the end of life. It is, rather, the grand beginning of a life that will never end.
When John envisions a New Jerusalem in the book of Revelation, he hears a voice quoting the prophet Isaiah: "Death will be no more." John understands that Christ has overcome death, which brings life to those who profess belief. There is more to life than our accomplishments. And there is more to death than sixty seconds of silence.
