“The Power of Love as the Basis of Hope”

            This Sunday, November 3rd, is “All Saints Day,” the Sunday traditionally set aside to remember and give thanks for friends and loved ones who have died this year—or, in years past.  In the Church, these departed friends and loved ones are referred to as “saints.”  In our worship services at Christ United Methodist Church this weekend, we will recognize and commemorate  our “saints” by ringing a bell as we lift up the name of each departed friend or loved one. 

I will base my meditation for All Saints Day on selected verses from Romans 8.  Although I find this entire chapter in Romans to be very powerful, the focus of my meditation will be on a simple claim made by Paul towards the end of the chapter, “For I am convinced that neither death, … nor anything else in all of creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”  (Romans 8:39) 

For the Apostle Paul, God’s love is so profound, powerful, and so utterly beyond our comprehension that it literally conquers all—even death itself.  From the teaching and model of Christ, we know that God loves each and every human person and that God seeks to be in a loving relationship with each of us, as children of God, who are created in God’s own image.  Thus, for the Apostle Paul, logically, death cannot be the termination of our existence.  No!  Far from it.  Instead, death must be a point of transformation in our existence and our relationship with God. 

In this profound transformation, we become part of God’s New Creation at the end of time.  As described in the Book of Revelation:

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4)

For Paul, God’s love for us provides the basis for our hope that the death of our loved ones is not simply the termination of their existence, but instead the transformation of their existence.  Pau believes that the structure of God’s love for us has to be the same as the structure of our love for one another.  Regardless of who it is that we love, the common denominator is always the same:  we want our relationship with the beloved to continue forever and we want to grow closer and closer in our relationships with those whom we love. 

God’s love for us must be the same.  God wants our relationship to last forever, and God wants our relationship to grow closer and closer.  So, logically, death cannot possibly be the end; the termination of our existence.  No, instead, death must be a transformation point to a deeper and more powerful, loving relationship with God.

And, we know that because of this profound love, God always wants the best for us.  We know that God wants us to thrive and flourish in this life—and, in the next.  In God’s Wisdom, God made humans social creatures.  We are shaped and molded and influenced by our network of family and friends.  So, since we know that God wants only the very best for each of us; then, we can be confident that God will provide a time and an opportunity for us to be reunited with our loved ones—even after death. 

The power of God’s love is the basis for our hope in the face of death.  As the Apostle Paul writes in another one of his letters, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?  Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (1 Corinthians 15:55)

As I noted above, the power of God’s love forms the basis for our hope that death is not a termination, but rather a transformation in which we become part of God’s New Creation.  The Resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday and the additional stories of his resurrection appearance can be interpreted as a foreshadowing of our own physical resurrection and transformation as part of God’s New Creation.

Of course, there is no scientific explanation for this radical transformation of ourselves into part of God’s New Creation.  However, some scientists and theologians, working across academic disciplines, have argued for a broader view of God’s work as Creator, in which God’s work of creation begins ex nihilo, (out of nothing), but then continues throughout history, until it is completed at the end of time, when God redeems the universe and transforms it into a New Creation.  They point to the possibility of other laws of nature in other universes as signaling the possibility that part of God’s final redemption of Creation would be “redeeming” the laws of nature, so that eternal life as described in the Book of Revelation becomes a reality.

Again, to reiterate, the power of God’s love forms the basis of this hope.

If you live in the Lincoln, Nebraska area and do not have a place of worship, then I invite you to come and join us at Christ United Methodist Church this Sunday, November 3rd, as we remember and celebrate our loved ones who have passed away.  Come and join us, as we lift up our loved ones by name and ring a chime in memory of them. 

Christ UMC is located at 4530 “A” Street.  We have three worship services on Sunday mornings at 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00.  The 8:30 and 11:00 services feature a traditional worship format and the services are held in our Sanctuary.  “The Gathering” at 9:45 is held in our Family Life Center (gym), and it is more informal and interactive.   

Come, join us.  Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.