Sunsets and Fawns

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” John 11:25

I meet each Wednesday afternoon with a group of teenagers. Any middle school or high school student is welcome to join me at “Pop with Pastor”. I spring for drink for all who show up and we usually just have conversation for 45 minutes or so. We will talk about everything from our favorite milkshake flavor to the latest “drama” happening on campus. Occasionally we even get to mumble a bit about spiritual things. More than a “teaching” time, it is simply a way to make myself accessible; and just rounding the bend to 60, I need their input as well!

Anywhere from three to a dozen students show up each week, and I drop them off using the church van. Turning up a hill to take one student home, there was a unison sigh from behind me; then I heard “Look at that sunset”. It was glorious; fire orange with the deep and rich glow of hot embers. Once to the top, where the student lived, we all were able to enjoy it even more.

On our way back down the hill, while we were still talking about the sunset, a young fawn dawdled across the road. We live in a village that is bordered by forested hills on the north and the Columbia River on the south; it is not rare to come across deer at all. We usually don’t have to stop for one on the residential streets. This time we did, slowing down and laughing at our good fortune.

“Wow, a sunset and a deer, all in the past five minutes. God is putting on a show,” I said. We laughed about what our next encounter might be; a tiger and its cubs, perhaps? That’s when a high school boy pointed at a house we were just passing. “Well, there are two penguins!” Sure enough, two lawn ornament birds in tuxedos guarded the front porch. Not exactly a God-moment, but we enjoyed the laugh.

At one of the saddest moments of Jesus’ ministry He announced that He was the “resurrection and the life.” His good friend Lazarus had died and been entombed for four days. Lazarus’ sisters Mary and Martha had sent for Jesus, and upon arriving, Martha runs to greet him on the road. Comforting her, Jesus says, “Your brother will rise again.” Then, shockingly, insists that he will rise because Jesus Himself is the resurrection and the life.

I received many words of comfort when my mother and father died, nearly twenty years apart. “We’re sorry for your loss.” “At least we know she is with Jesus.” “Your dad spoke a lot about you.” But I do not recall anyone saying, “Oh, and, your mom and dad are going to rise again. And, just so you know it is true, it’s because I’m The Resurrection!” Really? And, where is your cape? And mask? Because you’re either nuts, or you are a super-hero whose alter ego is Rez-Man, or something.

If Jesus was not the Son of God, his statement to Martha is ludicrous, unthoughtful and narcissistic. You just don’t show up to a funeral calling yourself the “Life-Man”. Not unless, of course, that is exactly who you are!

Jesus is the resurrection. Everything that even whispers of life is bound up in Him. It is no coincidence we celebrate Easter in the Spring. Every early daffodil reminds us that not only did Jesus rise from the dead, but that He Himself is the resurrection itself. The cycle of life is tied directly to Jesus through whom and for whom all the universe was created!

We humans are part of that cycle. But, even more incredible, we are God’s crowning glory. The human race still is a frustrating paradox of the animated joy of life and yet the putrid smell of death and wickedness. A family loses its house to fire and a whole community turns out to help them rebuild. Then, within a week, that same community is wracked by vandals spraying graffiti all over public and private property.

We see advancements in learning to accept people with differences, and celebrated the first African-American to be elected as President of the United States of America. Yet, within days the lies and ugliness started and have barely let up over two terms. Personal attacks and falsified photos can be found on the personal pages of social media and the inboxes with all the other forwarded double-speak.

We pat ourselves on the back when we hear of men and women committing years, or even an entire life, to go to third-world countries on medical missions or others relief efforts. And yet, people with the same DNA structure, who use lungs to breathe and hearts to beat blood are driving people from their homelands and murdering those whose ethnicity or religion differs from their own. For every action that gives us hope, we know of others that brings us despair.

Yet, God, in His eternal compassion loves mankind. His desire is for this earth to have the aroma of life, to smell like early spring days and summer sweet magnolias. He created men and women to enjoy the earth He gave to them. Instead, we have misused the wonderful gift, and are now scurrying to undo the damage we have caused to forests, habitats and even our atmosphere.

Yet, God still loves mankind! Jesus’ words to Martha that day ring brightly with hope. “I am the resurrection and the life,” He says. It is sad that so much is done in Jesus’ name that also smells of the grave. But, no matter what others may do, Jesus Himself is life.

That resurrection life that Jesus promises is not simply a carrot at the end of a stick helping us get through the grunge of earth so we can play in the heaven’s eternal amusement park. The moment a person believes in Jesus is the moment that resurrection life begins. It is true, of course, that we do not experience all the benefits of eternity the moment we believe. “Here and now” we do muddle through.

But, if we are attentive, if we are following Jesus, knowing Him discovering what “Life” really is through relationship with Him, we sometimes get just a whiff of eternity. It is like those late summer evenings when the wind blows in off the harvest fields and you smell the sweetness of the wheat cut by the combines. That aroma tells you it is harvest time.

So, sunsets, a fawn, and two silly concrete penguins do not necessarily speak of the “Resurrection and the Life”. Yet, on the other hand, for those who believe, maybe they do. Maybe a sunset and a fawn five minutes apart are just enough for a believer to keep going. It was enough for me that day. Though suffering another day of terrible pain, just the moment of joy reminded me how beautiful is the Lord’s love. And, if the momentary aroma means anything, it’s going to smell glorious in heaven.