A Severe Mercy

Today is Good Friday, the day that marks the death of Jesus almost two thousand years ago. It is “Good” because of the hope we encounter in this darkest of moments. For it is through his sacrifice that we find true life in God’s forgiveness and redemption.

It might have been the Romans who nailed Christ to the cross, but it was God’s severe mercy that kept him there.

I first became aware of this term in college when I read Sheldon Vanauken’s autobiographical narrative, A Severe Mercy. In this story he shares how God used several events in his life to establish and develop his Christian faith. The most significant and painful was the illness and death of his wife Davy. Their story will be portrayed in the movie A Severe Mercy scheduled for release in 2008.

It’s hard to look at death and be grateful, mostly because our human nature clings to this earthly life as the fulfillment of existence or purpose. But for those who embrace the truth of the cross and the power of the resurrection, we understand that this life is the mere starting point for an eternal destiny. This awareness helps get us through those difficult times of losing a loved one.

My mom passed away almost four years ago. When her leukemia returned after a brief remission, the doctor's prognosis of months quickly turned to weeks. Even when we thought she had days, it turned out to be a matter of hours. I was not able to be at her bedside. In fact, I never got to say good-bye. I felt cheated and angry and alone.

I didn't realize it at the time but that moment was a crossroad for me. Even though I did not have that desired moment of closure with my mom in those last days, I will never forget the last time she said "I love you" on the phone. Her voice was feeble but the words were strong and they mean more to me today than when they were spoken. They compel me to talk more often with my dad and siblings. They remind me to hug my children more tightly and tell them how proud I am of them. They motivate me to love my wife more selflessly with the gift of each day.

Where , O death is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?

I Corinthians 15:55

Today is dark but the dawn of Resurrection Sunday will most certainly reveal the purpose of God’s severe mercy in the death of His son. I wish you His comfort and peace this weekend and forever.

Where Will Life Take You?

Have you seen the new commercial from Louis Vuitton?

Entitled "A Journey," its message strikes a remarkable similarity to my purpose statement in creating this blog. I recommend you watch both the short version (with music and text) and the long version (music only). It is an artful piece that beautifully blends the familiar with the unexpected, creating a sense of calm while leaving you slightly unsettled with its stirring invitation to embrace life as a journey.

Here is the text of the commercial:

What is a journey?

A journey is not a trip.

It's not a vacation.

It's a process. A discovery.

It's a process of self-discovery.

A journey brings us face to face with ourselves.

A journey shows us not only the world,

but how we fit in it.

Does the person make the journey

or does the journey make the person?

The journey is life itself.

Where will life take you?

Of course, the implied message of A Journey is that life will somehow be better with expensive Louis Vuitton luggage and accessories. And it suggests that the destination of the journey is nothing more than the process, life itself. That's where I diverge from the self-oriented pursuit of consumption and the fatalistic end point of a mere earthly existence.

It makes for a great commercial but a lousy afterlife.

In the middle of Holy Week, we must ask ourselves a basic question. What's beyond the grave? If Jesus was crucified on Friday and raised from the dead on Sunday, which I believe He was, then our existence on earth is merely a prelude to something greater. A journey that extends beyond the here and now.

So where will life take you? I hope it takes you to the point where you find that greater something in Christ this Easter season.