I was watching the news the other day while they were reporting on Senator Kennedy's funeral proceedings. The reporter explained the sequence: "Senator Kennedy will be here for the day while mourners pay their respects, then he will go to ..." And I thought, "How odd! The man is dead. He's not there."
Our rites and rituals put a lot of stock in bodies. That's not a complaint; that's just the way it is. But it illustrates the problem. We are so tied to the physical that we find it hard to realize that it's just a body, an "Earth suit", something that allows us (not merely a body) to inhabit this environment. When we hear of tragedies like "premature death" or the passing of a well-loved person, we are hurt because we value the physical presence. And we are offended if the suggestion is that "God took him (or her)". Because, you see, we put a lot of stock in bodies. And we assume God does as well.
Personally, I'll be glad to be freed from mine. I know in Whom I have believed. I know (not merely "believe") where I'll be when I leave this body. I know that the "suit" that I will inhabit there will be much better than this one. More importantly, I know that the One with whom I will be will erase all tears and provide all joy. I suspect, based on family history and personal health and such, it will be a long time before I get to that moment, but when I do ... Oh, that will be glory for me! My loved ones, I'm sure, will mourn their loss, but it won't be loss for me, and I won't be there.
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