What a strange feeling to see that paradox – a living spirit strengthened by a dying body…
I recently spent some time talking to a person who was admitted to palliative care. This person was young and vibrant and seemed – if you listened to his conversation – to have a lifetime before him.
I remember looking at his emancipated frame and listening to the vibrancy in his voice and thinking to myself that if I could only close my eyes, I would have no idea that this person was indeed preparing themselves to meet their Maker…
And I have been thinking about that for a very long time.
You see, it is a terrible terrible thing for a young person to be struck down with illness. It is a dreadful thing for a parent to watch their child slowly die from a disease that robs them of their health and vitality. It is possibly the greatest form of torture to watch a young family affected by disease. And yet, in this young person I saw something else.
As we spoke and as I listened, I could not help but think of God Himself. After all, God is able to turn all things to the good. And while I was reflecting on this I was also struck by the idea that if it were not for this person’s body, their spirit would live forever. This person was completely undefeated in spirit. They did not seem to be pretending and putting on a show so as not to upset others around them, they genuinely appeared to believe in their heart that they would live forever. It was as thought there was no death on the horizon. It was as though the fact that this person’s body would soon be dead was not even in their mind.
Now, I am sure that there are psychologists and psychiatrists who are far more qualified than I who would be able to explain exactly what was going on inside this person’s mind. And perhaps – as well – I read the situation all wrong, and in fact this person was consumed by the knowledge that their earthly life would soon be over… But I am not so sure. You see, I felt as though God were speaking through this person – not because he was saying anything very holy or profound (despite his strong faith) – but because he was speaking as though this was just another ordinary day…
And that told me that it was. It told me that the strong spirit inside that person was strong because unlike his body, which would soon be dead, his spirit would not be dead. His spirit would live on. And I felt that God was telling me that on that day.
And what a strange feeling to see that paradox – a living spirit strengthened by a dying body… And I have been thinking about that today, because it seems to me that God has His Holy Hand right in the middle of that. Right there in the middle… And I cannot wait for eternity to see how that plays out under God’s eternal plan…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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