Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever.”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, June 14, 2023
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
I have not experienced much loss in my life. Four grandparents, an aunt, and an uncle, all after long lives. I know I am in the minority among my peers. Most of my friends have lost parents, some have lost siblings, some children, some close friends. Beyond my own circles, tragedy abounds. I cannot begin to imagine the pain of loss experienced by those who have lost loved ones to state violence, to mass shootings, to freak accidents, to sudden illness.
Yet this promise is for all of us, no matter our experience of death and loss. I would love nothing more than to know my grandparents better, especially my grandmother Fergus, of whom I am the spitting image, and who was gone before I had the maturity to seek out a closer relationship with her. I cling to this promise of the end of death in the hope that one day I can kick back with her in the hammock up at the cabin and really understand the depth of our connection. Maybe that sounds silly in light of the deep traumatic tragedy so many experience. But I don’t think God has some kind of measuring stick to determine who deserves God’s promises. When God swallows up death forever, it will be fore everyone.
What has been my experience with death? How does this promise help me understand my experiences?
