If you ever feel that you have lost
hope, take comfort in the Compline liturgy as I have over the past
eighteen months. There is a prayer in that liturgy which begins
"Lord, it is night . . .", and there is a profound sense of
hope in its conclusion: "The night heralds the dawn. Let us
look expectantly to a new day, new joys, new possibilities.” That
prayer has been an inspiration for me. It has been a hope-filled
inspiration through some very dark times.
The Gospel of Luke for today speaks
to me in a very different way than it will to most of you. Certainly
the Sadducees wanted to make the concept of the resurrection look
ridiculous by posing their question concerning the one bride and the
seven brothers. Jesus put the Sadducees in their place having proven
to them that their argument about the resurrection was wrong, and
reminding them that God is a God of the living not of the dead. He
is emphasizing God's promise to share with us His unending love and
life eternal, an incredible promise which allows us to live right now
in the joy and hope of the age to come. But it was also the message
in verses 34-36 that resonates with me, where Jesus clearly states
that the human relationships of marriage do not exist in the same way
beyond death. However, I have a deep sense of hope and expectation
for the God-defined relationships of the resurrection which I believe
will transcend those of this age.
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