Hope in the empty tomb

“Just because the tomb is empty doesn’t mean your life has to be.” That is the phrase a pastor friend used to end his Easter sermon. These words have been rattling in my heart and brain ever since I have heard them. I guess I have been thinking about this a lot lately because I have been with some of our church families recently as they said goodbye to their loved ones.

These times remind me acutely again of how short life is and how very fast it goes. This one sentence seems to me to go very well with what I am reading now.
I am reading Thomas A Kempis’ “Imitation of Christ” as part of my daily devotion time. This is a neat little book – a devotional classics - written by a 14th century German monk. It reads a little like the book of Proverbs. Great wisdom to be found there. The book is divided into four “books” covering various aspects of the spiritual life. In the first “book”, there is a short chapter called “Meditation on death” (chapter 23.) Certain sentences leaped from the page for me and made me stop and think:

“What good is a long life if we do not use it to advance spiritually?” “Many count the years of their conversion, but often there is little to show for it.”
“How happy and wise are those who try now to become what they would want to be at the hour of death.”
“Time is precious now, and now is the day of salvation, the acceptable time. But alas, that you spend the time so unprofitably! The time will come when you will wish that you had one more day – even one hour – to put your life in order, but there is no assurance that you will get it.”

“Attend to those things that are to God’s honor and glory. Honor the Saints and follow their example and you will have friends waiting ‘to receive you into everlasting dwellings’ (Luke 16:9) when you life here is ended.”

Easter is a time to not only remember that the tomb was empty but that it is empty still and for us this means Life! Not only Life on the other side of Heaven but Life here and now! In his life, death and resurrection Jesus is calling us to Life abundant. A life of service and giving of ourselves to others…

Do you have some things you need to attend to? Someone to forgive or ask forgiveness from? Some unhealed placed in your heart? Is there someone who needs to hear that you love them? Who needs to see that you love them?
How is your soul? What’s going on with you and Jesus?