Abe, my 7 year old friend’s questions continued that warm Saturday afternoon, in rapid order as he waltzed around the tree stumbling through the wine corks: “Does everybody have to die?” “Yes, Abe, everybody dies.” “What happens when you die?” I asked. “They put you in the ground or they burn you up” Abe said as a matter of fact. “Oh” was the profound response I mustered.

“Did Jesus die?” “Yes, Abe, Jesus died.” “Why?” He asked. “Jesus died to make everything right with God.” “Did Jesus go to heaven when he died?” Abe asked. “Jesus’ body was put in the ground and he stayed there 3 days, but then he came back to life, then he went to heaven.” “Is Jesus in heaven now?” “Jesus is in heaven and Jesus lives in our hearts.” “How did he get to heaven?” “Jesus was standing on a hill and he went up, up, up into heaven.” With a big grin, standing on his tip toes and reaching to the sky Abe said, “You mean he just kept going up, up, up to heaven. Is he coming back?” “Yes, Abe, Jesus is coming back someday.”

“Why is he in our hearts?” He asked. “To live his life in us and make us very, very alive. He lives there so we can live forever with him.” Abe, “where do all your questions come from?” “I just think of them.” He said. “Do they come from your brain or from your heart, Abe?” “My brain, a little, and my heart a lot.” He answered without hesitating. “Hmmm, Jesus lives there; I wonder if he is helping you think of these questions.” I pondered aloud.

Abe and I continued our conversation for quite some time on that Saturday. His mom told me that his questions and my answers made him think of a lot more questions. Hopefully we can carry on another beautiful conversation on another beautiful Paso Robles winter afternoon. Abe is wrestling with creation questions, death questions and life questions.

Defining or describing “death” and “life” accurately, according to the truth, is impossible if we tackle the concepts from our limited, human understanding and vision. Defining and describing death and life according to the Word of God is truth. In Christ, death is not the end of life – it is not really dying. Death in Christ is the ushering in of the eternal, eternal life IN Christ, which is where we live now. Death is life. Life is passing away, but IN Christ, this life is eternal; even though, with our eyes we see that which is fading away. The life we see with earthly eyes is not the life God sees in us.

The Word of Life died our death and lives our life, for us and in us and he lives through us. His perfect life, his perfect righteousness in fulfilling the law perfectly for us, his suffering, his death and his resurrection are ours by his gracious giving. He became life so we have life, life according to his design, life fully the way he intended it to be.

Adults seem to be locked into the question, “Why?” “Why is this happening God?” or “If you are good, God, why are you allowing this?” or “Why this illness?” or “Why the suffering?” or “Why the pain?” Perhaps we could ponder the questions of a seven year old and allow Jesus, who lives in our hearts, to bring our questions of heart and soul to the surface. We have lived so many years of very serious adulthood and many, many years of not asking the right questions. We are called to wake up and ask Jesus, “What do I need from you?” And “What do you want me to want from you?”

Paul declares: “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ²For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, ³if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. ⁴For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.” 2 Corinthians 5:1-5

May God grant us courage to ask. May God grant us boldness to confidently seek from him that which he desires to give. May God’s peace which passes understanding guard our hearts. Blessings IN Christ, Cindy

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