Yet the very nature of communion is not to mourn the death of Christ, but to rejoice in his Resurrection. It is a somber affair, for we grieve our sin that nailed Him to the cross. Yet at the end, we cannot help but rejoice in the life we have in Him because He is alive. Mourn our sin-stained lives, celebrate that His death has bought eternity for us all.
Our lives echo this pattern of communion at the death of our loved ones. Life is at first bleak and dreary. Our eyes burn with the onset of tears. Yet, this is all for the living, not the dead. For those who know Christ as their Lord, we know that death is but the beginning of a new life. If you believe as we do, you know that they are in a better place, rejoicing face to face with our God and working (and playing!) as we were originally created to do.
This week has found me rejoicing with tears in my eyes. On Monday, one of the most amazing women left us. She was my grandmother, my role model, my fellow card shark. And this week has left many of us with a gaping hole. But she was sick, and longed to be reunited with Grandpa. So while I grappled with the pain left in her absence, I also thanked God that she was finally in a better place.
Like I said, we grieve the living. The heaviness in our hearts and the sobs that choke us are not truly for those whom we've lost. They are there for us who are still here. Whether you believe the Gospel story or not, when we cry for our loved ones, we are mourning for those of us left here. Sorrow cannot affect a person once dead; it is meant for those who now have to live without.
We all find our own ways of "doing in remembrance," whether we believe in Christ or not. Thanks to my sister, a worn flannel shirt that once belonged to my Grandpa now hangs in my bedroom. It's a size too big even for Hon, but years from now, I will still wear it and remember.
This week I have started an "in remembrance" project. Waiting for a package to arrive today, and then I will begin remembering in my own special way:
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