The Faithnetworker Newsletter
Vol. 4. No. 2, May 11, 2003
http://www.faithnet.org
Afterlife
Cool Scripture Cite
"If we have been united with him in his death, we will certainly
also be united with him in his resurrection." --Paul (Romans 6:5)
Hot Internet Site
Email has reached new heights. Afterlife Telegrams is offering an
online service for persons who wish to send a message to someone who
has died. Messengers have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and
have a prognosis of living less than a year. These folks promise to
memorize your message and pass it on to your intended recipient. They
don't guarantee delivery, however. Apparently there may be unexpected
routing problems.
Additional services include online grief counseling and an online
virtual cemetery. The cemetery is a graphic representation of a cemetery
with clickable tombstones of various designs. Yes, I ventured to click
on the tombstones, but they were all empty. For that I was grateful,
since I wasn't quite sure what might pop up on my monitor by clicking
on a virtual grave.
It is a bit warm and humid here in south Texas. At church last Sunday,
rumor had it that folks were kinda glad to be done with Lenten soups
and are ready for some barbecue.
The juncture of sacred symbol and mundane life has long fascinated
me. It can be seen in the growing raft of manger scene baby Jesus burglaries,
chocolate eggs at Eastertime, or teenage girls with the giggles at
a funeral. It seems we all need a little comic relief from the profundities
of life. Or, perhaps Hershey eggs are just easier to comprehend than
theology.
Jesus himself was a juxtoposition of sacred and mundane. One aspect
of the Jesus story--resurrection--transcends our earthly plights. Another
aspect of the story, however, shows us the divine value of the human
experience. The vignettes of Jesus that emerge in sacred text are of
an eating, drinking, sleeping, angry, sad, delighted, tired, excited,
and cryptic man.
So, where does this resurrection dynamic hit the pavement of the human
path? Is it just a hoped-for surprise awaiting us after our brain waves
flat line? Or, is renewal an interwoven thread of the fabric of life?
I've buried some dreams, only to see them come back to life in more
creative forms. Such reflections give me a sense of awe in the Spirit's
presence and re-creative powers. I'll give that some thought the next
time I feel disillisioned. In the meatime, pass the barbecue sauce.