THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2023 OH DEATH WHERE IS THY STING

 THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2023 OH DEATH WHERE IS THY STING

Today is the first day of Passover 2023 (or year 5783 in the Jewish Calendar).  Passover - or as I want to write it today “the passing over of the angel of death on the houses marked with blood on the doorposts”.

Death - dying - rotting corpses.  In the Jewish story (Exodus 1-10) God tells Moses that he is going to kill the firstborn sons across the land - except for houses that have the lintels coated in blood.  Let’s take that further - so I hear Moses telling me to kill a sheep and smear the blood of the animal on my doorposts.  If it was today, I might have a hard time finding a sheep that I could kill and gather the blood to paint my doorposts.  I might say “Sorry Moses, I’m just not into painting my doors with blood.”  Can you imagine walking around the Jewish sector in a few days with blood smeared on all the houses?  There would be an aroma.  

In Jewish teachings, “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”. Hebrews 9:22.  

Thus in the Christian view of Holy Week, when Jesus shed His blood on the cross, it was even more significant than the Passover.  The shedding of His blood was more than forgiveness, it was a “baptism” that gave us eternal life AND forgiveness.  (That would be a tough act - but Christians believe Jesus had the right credentials to do it).  

DEATH

Death is like a door - or a narrow passageway out of this life.  Some suggest that it will be a waiting period until we are judged by God.  Some suggest like the thief on the other cross “Today you will be with me in Paradise”.  

Time is not relevant to an infinite being (God - He/She/It/The Force/Ohh).  A thousand years - when we are talking infinity - is nothing.  

I guess I’m on the side of saying “I don’t know what really happens after death, but that’s okay.  I don’t really know about landing people on the moon (again), but that’s okay - I don’t need to know.  I need to trust”.  God loves me as his primary love (okay Karen - but I believe that God loves everybody as if they were the only people on Earth and as his primary love).  I’m tied for first place with God (but everybody else is).  I’m a WINNER.  God loves me.

So, whatever happens after death, that’s okay.  I hope (believe) that whatever happens after death, it will be more than fantastic, it will be more than awesome, it will be more wonderful than words can describe - and it is infinite.

*****

So, on this planet (and I’m still thinking about over 8 trillion galaxies, and each galaxy with (maybe) millions of stars, and each star system (maybe) with planets with intelligent life), so on this planet, I have to be yielded to God.

And, on this Holy Week with Holy Thursday (also Maundy Thursday), Good Friday, and Easter Sunday I get a glimpse of the perfection of a Divine Deity that is so far beyond my comprehension.  

And, I will attempt to understand what it all means for me.  But, I will accept that “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness”, but that Jesus did shed His blood for me.  

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

KAREN ANNE WHITE, APRIL 6, 2023