The Last Enemy

One of the greatest lines in a movie, ever was in the movie "Troy".  King Priam bravely and secretly visits the tent of Achilles who had only a few hours earlier killed his son, Hector and then dragged the body off by his feet, behind his chariot to further humiliate Hector.  Priam asks Achilles to "give him this small mercy" and return Hector's body to be properly buried.  Achilles is deeply touched by Priam's bravery and sincerity.  Here is his response: Achilles:  "If I let you walk out of here [with the dead body of your loved one], If I let you take him; it doesn't change anything.  You're still my enemy in the morning.  Unphased by the swelling words of the great Achilles, Priam replies:

"You're still my enemy tonight.  But even enemies can show respect for one another." 

The line is prevalent to me now because 2011 has been a year that many people who I am acquainted with have gone to be with the Lord.  My family has seen seven this year (since December 2010) alone.  Then this past week, my godmother, 83 and two other men of God, both relatively young 53 and 44 were taken by death.  Undoubtedly, the desire is for our loved ones to stay with us on this earth without suffering, and then we can all go to God together, when our lives are over.  Instead, loved ones plead with death, for mercy and respect.  Death doesn't give either.  He is our enemy. He is not so kind as Achilles was to Priam to give back what he has taken.  And we are left with a seeming hopelessness about the fate of our loved ones.

It is only seeming, however.  Because the same blow that death deals us to cause our pain, is the same blow that has ushered our loved ones into the presence of God.  He can not win.  Death can not win. Jesus has won.

“The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
(1 Corinthians 15:26 ESV)

Love in the Mourning

“Just what do you want from us!” When it comes to racism I can hear that question from the hearts of “white” people to “black” people; and vice-versa. It is a valid question. Most of us can sense the thick, smothering gas of “race” among us. Still, no one really wants to keep talking about it. Yet, some of us feel we must, if there is to be authentic progress. We sound the shofar for injustice; and raise Amos’ voice to anthemic proportions. “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (5:24).  Some say, we are nearing a post-racial era; if we stop talking about it, then “race” will just go away. Then others feel the guilt because it seems to point to people like them (even though their not racists). And still others experience mounting displeasure because the constant talk never moves past discussion. Then there are those who are invisible to the extreme discussion of black and white race issues because they are neither (black nor white), or both. They too, sound an alarm of frustration that too often goes unheard. I think Dennis Hesselbarth’s article “To my fellow Whites” in EFCA Today offers a plausible reply. He says, “Let’s just try to Understand”. Here's the Link, take a read[http://www.efcatoday.org/site/article/to-my-fellow-whites]. But I digress 

Indeed, theologians would mark understanding as a most worthy task of any Christian’s deepening of godliness: Fides quaerens intellectum, (Faith seeking understanding). Of course theologians intend this statement to drive us to a deeper knowing of the incomprehensible, Triune God through pursuing the questions in our souls. I intend for the statement to fortify Hesselbarth’s request and encourage you to carry it out. You see, we cannot only understand God by answering questions of scripture alone; or that reside within us. We must also understand him through the countless image-bearers who experience blessing and suffering on the earth as we do.

Ethno-racial issues produce floods of suffering and mourning for all varieties of people in some form or other. To make efforts to understand the mourning that it produces in the life of others serves as a tactic of love. To ask questions, listen to, and respond in sorrow for the past or present injustices instead of defending one’s self or “people” is to progress in that love. The mourners begin to live because of understanding.Why? Because s/he assumes that once we truly understand, we will act in aggressive righteousness to correct the matter. This is what it means to be a Jesus follower and “mourn with those who mourn”. Showing understanding is to demonstrate “love in the mourning” of others. That love produces a brighter hope for a brighter day.  Dr. Martin King, Jr said as much in his 1957 sermon, “Love Your Enemies”. He said: “Love is creative, understanding goodwill for all men. It is the refusal to defeat any individual. When you rise to the level of love, of its great beauty and power, you seek only to defeat evil systems. Individuals who happen to be caught up in that system, you love, but you seek to defeat the system”.(http://mlkkpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/documentsentry/doc_loving_your_enemies/)

Dr. Martin King’s admonition here calls us to rise to the level of love.  Yet Christians know that King is not the progenitor of this call, only an avid proponent of the call. The progenitor is our gracious Lord Jesus who loved us first, and called us first: He now calls us to love (Matt 5:43-44). And indeed, he exemplified his call through understanding by stepping into our shoes (Heb. 4:15).  Is this not the best expression of how we love? To step into their suffering with others and mourn with them until we are through it. When we love people in their mourning (for whatever they may mourn for) and seek to understand them, we produce hope that the mourning may cease one day. Then, we may believe the psalmist more readily as he says, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. So to answer the question: “Just what do you want from us?!”  Love through Understanding; indeed, Love in the Mourning.