Resurrection

Recently, my wonderful brother-in-law passed.  He had been a Lutheran pastor all his life, and at his Celebration of Life, we heard uplifting words from the presiding Pastor regarding Don’s beliefs on resurrection.  It’s so pertinent to everyday to everyday life that I’m reprinting some of it here.

Pastor Dan Mixdorf told us the following:  “We miss the resurrections that happen all around us.  In our continued lamenting about how terrible and divided our world is today, we miss seeing Christ all around us.

Don believed that a resurrection occurs, for example, every time we see a student in school say to another student who is being bullied, “Here, come sit with me and have lunch.”  A resurrection occurs every time a person at the food bank hands groceries to a hungry family.  A resurrection occurs every time a nurse smiles at a patient even when the nurse’s day has been full of stress.  A resurrection occurs every time someone sits with a lonely elderly person and simply holds their hand.  A resurrection occurs when we simply are present with a person in pain and don’t feel like we have to give answers, or platitudes, but just to be there.

Yes, we have faith and hope in Don’s and our resurrection experience when we die, to have the joy of knowing that Jesus has prepared a place for us.  But we miss so much when our idea of the resurrection begins and ends there.”  Resurrections, then, are ongoing.

Lord, help us participate in the daily resurrections, through kindnesses given to others.  Give us the strength we need to spread your message of love even when we seem ill-equipped.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.