The Outrage of Death

Seemingly strange – but then again, not really.

That's how I felt yesterday as I mingled with other mourners in a funeral home who were there for the remembering of my son-in-law's father who died in a drowning accident last week. At first it did not seem logically explainable to me why I was feeling such strong sadness as I held my son-in-law (or now son) close to me and began to cry myself nearly as if I really had known his father well. But I did not know him. After hearing about his life and his interests during the service I began to really wish I had known him, but I didn't. So what could account for such strong emotions welling up from deep within me?

Some might say that it was stirring up memories of my own similar experiences over the past 3-4 years laying to rest both of my own parents. That could indeed explain some of this feeling, but I didn't really believe that was necessarily most of it. The intense sadness inside of me was not really connected to those events as I thought back on them now. So my mind and heart struggled to find an answer that would make more sense of what I was experiencing here.

Then, almost surprisingly, as I walked around the room and observed the various emotions being displayed and looked at the one lying in the coffin at the front of the room, a feeling of anger began to stir within me. And at this point it really started to make sense to me. My sadness that was now intensifying into occasional flashes of anger was not connected to a lost relationship with a person that I had known well but was aroused and directed toward the very enemy of death itself. This anger resonated in the distressed words of my wife who exclaimed, “This was never supposed to happen!”

Death – and the fallen angel who started this whole catastrophe – was the real villain that aroused my intense wrath and passion at the overwhelming injustice that sin has perpetrated on all of us causing all this unnecessary pain and grief that torments and racks our souls. Yes, death itself in all its forms is the real enemy here and I was feeling just a a very small taste of the “wrath” that God is feeling about this horrendous injustice as He works to bring it all to a final conclusion. He is eagerly looking forward to the glorious day when all of us together will be able to shout with joy the victory cry that will shake every corner and reverberate into every chasm of the universe, “Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory?”

Later as the crowd of grieving friends gathered among the hard tombstones and braced themselves against the cold wind sweeping over the hill, I looked around at the symbols of pain and ruin sitting stark and mute over the graves of hundreds of victims of this terrible experiment gone mad. Once again the anger welled up within me as I watched helplessly during the final moments of truth as the stark realization of presence of death pierced our hearts. I watched the pain intensify on the countenances of those slowly walking away from the graveside showing the inner struggle to fight off this last assault. “It's not right!! It's unfair! It was never supposed to be this way!” I screamed inside.

But good news trumps this overwhelming evil pain and the fight is not over yet. God has not lost, though He suffers the same pain we attempt to fight off at a level exponentially greater than we could ever imagine. Yes – God is very angry and full of intense wrath! But we must learn and remember that His wrath is not directed at people, but at the injustice and terrible consequences that this stupid idea of sin has wreaked throughout all of His perfect creation. His wrath is not understood or reflected in the way we experience wrath, for in our fallen condition we cannot help but feel intense resentment and desire for revenge on those who cause us pain. But God is not subject or party to these distorted, sinful emotions and His ways are not our ways. He has a perfect solution rooted in perfect love that will bring an end to all suffering, all abuse, all injustice and all pain. It is a plan that most of us are, in reality, very unfamiliar with though many claim to understand it and teach it. It is a plan of restoration to perfect love and totally unselfish relationships in a recreated world restored to its original design.

God has no intention of taking our political designs and schemes and massaging them into a supernatural kingdom on earth like many evangelicals teach and believe today. I am appalled at many of the messages I hear emanating from Christian teachers and leaders leading millions to believe that God is working toward an earthly, politically-oriented kingdom set up in conjunction with Christians and Jews to physically fight unbelievers and subject them to coercive rule and power.

These ideas, if properly seen in the light of true reality, proper reading of the Scriptures and the real character of the true God who rules in love over the universe, would be seen to be blasphemy and treasonous against the principles of God's kingdom of love and freedom. God never uses force to accomplish His ends like humans so desire to do. And the true God of heaven is not planning to use threats, intimidation and torture to drive humans into conforming to His desires. These are the methods of the enemy and God will never stoop to employ these weapons of death to accomplish His ends of life.

It is true that He has the amazing capability to use tragic events when thrown at us by the enemy and turn things around for the ultimate good of those who trust Him and respond to His love, but that never should be confused with the belief that God originates these evil schemes.

Jesus stated the real truth about God unequivocally and plainly when He said clearly, “The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10. God operates from an exhaustless resource of life and He never needs to employ any other means to bring about our salvation and display His glory. He is faithful and perfect in all His ways. The more we learn the truth about Him the more our hearts will flash in resonance with His true selfless passion and love.

The thief struck again this last week. He stole a father, a son, a husband that we gathered to lay in the ground until Jesus comes to wake him up for the victory parade. He killed a life that was never supposed to be taken, for he has no rights to kill that which he cannot create. And he destroyed the peace and the close attachments of love and support that a family needed to survive, to mature and to be blessed in this world. Yes, the thief has struck again and his satanic leer casts a shadow over our hearts and lives. But there is Another who is stronger than the thief that will restore justice and peace and joy, One who is fully capable, ready and eager to bring life, comfort, joy and hope to hearts ripped open by the thief's cruel attack.

“Jesus, come very close to each of us who have been once again damaged and wounded by the enemy. Show us the real truth about you and dispel the lies that cause us to be afraid of you and your ways. Show us your face and wrap your arms around those who are hurting and confused in a strong, heartfelt embrace of reassurance and blessing. I praise you for your true goodness, your covenant lovingkindness that can never be defeated or diminished. You alone are truly worthy of our adoration and honor. Reveal yourself to us in fresh new ways and revive our spirits with your Spirit to face the days ahead of us. Thank-you for being faithful even when we fail. Thank-you for your perfect, passionate love even though we mistake it for tainted human-type wrath. Thank-you that your ways are not our ways and your thoughts are not like our thoughts. Lift us higher in our perceptions of your truth and your ways and mentor our hearts to burn with the same passion that flows from your heart. Thank-you for life, for family, for bonds of love that draw us to you and connect us with each other.”

Even so, come Lord Jesus!