Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:1; John 20:1; Revelation 21:1-4

Life is a wonderful gift. In the best of circumstances, we would like for it to go on forever. In the worst of circumstances, we would like it to end quickly and get on to something better.

A PRIMARY PURPOSE OF RELIGION
A primary objective of religion, and especially in the Judeo-Christian tradition, has been that of making life so good that one would want it to go on forever. Recognizing the inevitability of death, however, the goals have included the assurance that after death, life will continue forever without any of the elements that diminished its joy "the first time around."

The Old Testament author of Ecclesiastes preached the importance of enjoying life from beginning to end, but always with the realization that every behavior has its consequences, good or bad.

The Easter story is one of hope for Christians. One can imagine a group of disciples who were so totally devastated by the brutal murder of their leader and friend, that, irrational as it seemed, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early on Sunday morning just to see if by some chance, it had all been a bad dream and Jesus was, in fact, still alive.

During the darkest days of persecution for the early church, life was made absolutely uncertain and miserable by those who sought to destroy the Christian movement. Christians needed to be guilty of nothing more than their religious profession and their life was endangered. It is the nature of life, however, to work hard at surviving--that is the reason we have an immune system. It is therefore no surprise to know that, under the continual threat of death, Christians became very creative and found ways, including an attitudinal joy in martyrdom, to find a reason for hope.

Given the obvious fact that the Christians could not prevail against their persecutors, the deep desire for life to continue in some acceptable fashion nudged their attention toward a hope in immortality. In their minds, and harmonious with what they had been taught by Jesus, it simply didn't make sense to them that God would grant the wonderful gift of life only to have it snuffed out at an early age by someone who didn't agree with their religious beliefs and hopes. With this kind of hope, and the real threat of death at any time, an emphasis on a reality of immortality "bubbled to the top" of their belief system.

The New Testament Book of Revelation is a hopeful religious response of faith, to the inevitability of persecution and martyrdom at the hand of a ruthless enemy. "God's home is now with his people," says the author, and God ". . . will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever." That is the hope of Heaven! That is the "stuff" of immortality, which became associated with the central theme of early Christianity and prevails to this day. What was the central theme? Very early, the heart of the Christian message came to be that Jesus was unjustly crucified and slain, but that he rose from the dead the third day and after forty days ascended up into heaven to dwell with God eternally. The reasonable rationale then became that if God willed resurrection and immortality for Jesus, God also wills resurrection and immortality for those who commit their lives to him, i.e. to his friends.

A PHYSICAL RESURRECTION?
When one considers the likelihood of the physical resurrection of Jesus, apart from a hopeful faith typically associated with a belief system that is imparted to the human mind in a Christian culture at an early age, it is slim indeed. The physical resurrection of Jesus is unlikely because it is contrary to that which we observe about the nature of life, not occasionally, but billions of times and over a period of thousands of years. Regardless of how much we might think we want physical resurrections to occur, when physical death is established, the evidence is quite clear that it is not reversible.

If one would argue against the resurrection on the basis of the power of God to accomplish such a feat, however, that argument would be feeble. For the "author" of everything, which we are coming to learn about the universe, resurrecting a physical body from death back to life would probably be no big deal. The more we learn about the universe and the life contained in it, the more complex and wonderful we recognize it to be. The author of creation must surely be capable of rebuilding what he has already built! A Creator who can create something as awesome and complex as the human body, and impart, as though from nothing and nowhere, a spirit that makes the human being different from all other animal creatures, though there may be physical similarities in the make-up of their bodies, can surely re-create a new and wonderful body from an old, worn out, or devastated body if he were to choose to do so. It is not so much a matter of power and ability as it is a matter of "modus operandi." The matter of the physical resurrection really has nothing to do with the power of God. The power is ample.

The problem with the argument for a physical resurrection is that the more we learn about the universe and the dynamic creativity which is occurring within it, the more impressed we are with the rhyme and reason that is part of it. Apart from demonstrating the wonderful power of God--and we don't need that kind of proof today--there is no rhyme or reason for either the crucifixion or the physical resurrection of Jesus. Jesus didn't "stick around" to help his disciples through the trauma of persecution. He did not assume a physical role of leadership that would protect the world and human family from the chaotic condition that much of it has been in all of human history. In other words, there is much more common-sense-evidence to support the idea that Jesus was not physically raised from the dead, than there is to support the idea that he physically walked out of the tomb. Belief in the physical resurrection of Jesus can only be based on an irrational faith, weakly supported hope, and/or a sense of obligation to ancient beliefs of our religious culture.

A SPIRITUAL RESURRECTION!
If, however, one examines the resurrection of Jesus from a spiritual perspective, confirmation and support of that belief is readily available. The accomplishment of those early and weak disciples who were paralyzed from the trauma and nature of his death, is absolutely amazing. What they believed and were willing to give their lives for as martyrs eventually brought their movement to a point where it prevailed over the mighty Roman Empire. Christianity, the religion hated and feared by the Romans after the death of Jesus, came to be embraced as the official religion of the empire. If history didn't testify to the truth of that reality, it would be hard to believe.

The spiritual resurrection of Jesus was so powerful and evident in the lives of the early disciples, and in the lives of millions since that time, that the world has had no choice but to take notice, and in some ways make adjustments to accommodate many of its beliefs, which have to do with behavior and philosophy of life.

Take the churches out of the world for the past two thousand years and what do you have? On the negative side, you don't have religious wars with Christians attempting to kill those who believe differently from them. You don't have the Crusades. You don't have Moslems seeking to kill Christians or Christians seeking to kill Moslems. Who can imagine anything more disgusting and contrary to the spirit and teachings of Jesus than the Children's Crusade of 1212 A.D.! You don't have the ethnic cleansing which is happening before our very eyes in the Balkans as we near the end of the twentieth century. You don't have priests sexually exploiting children. You don't have ministers who bring disgrace to the human family and to their religious faith with their sexual exploitation of those who trust them. You don't have the church in the middle ages, or in isolated places in the world today, exploiting the poor in order to build giant cathedrals or provide lives of wealth for those in power.

On the positive side you don't have the institutions of learning, the hospitals, educational institutions, and a whole host of humanitarian endeavors which have come to be so important and taken for granted in a culture that is heavily influenced by the Judeo/Christian religions. You don't have the countless millions who, after having reached a point of despair in life, have found a source of hope. There is no doubt that in spite of the negative "gifts" given to the world by the church, i.e. by those who have professed spiritual rebirth through faith in Jesus, the positive "gifts" far outweigh the negative. Our world is much better because of the spiritual resurrection, and in spite of all the evil that sometimes comes from hypocrisy and a convenient belief system.

The world has been changed, and on balance, changed for the better because of the spiritual resurrection of Jesus.

IMMORTALITY?
What does this say about immortality? If one looks to the example of Jesus, and the impact of his brief life and ministry on the world, one must conclude that there is no basis of support for a belief in the physical resurrection of Jesus. One must also conclude that there is endless evidence of the spiritual impact, which his life and ministry has had on millions of persons for the past two thousand years. Immortality needs to be viewed from a perspective other than the resurrection and reformulation of a physical body--either that of Jesus or our own.

If the immortality of Jesus is evident through his contribution to the spirit of human beings who lived after him, not just into the next generation, but in a continuing and evident manner two thousand years later, is it not reasonable to apply that same kind of thinking to one kind of immortality for us?

One kind of immortality is indicated through the impact which human life has after that life has ceased physical existence. It is shown through the children of generation after generation. It is shown through the development of humanitarian institutions, which exemplify a fulfillment of the admonition of Jesus to love one another. It is shown through the memory of persons and accomplishments that are carried from one generation to another. It is shown through whatever way an individual leaves the world a bit better when death comes than would have been true had that person never lived.

Wonderful as this kind of immortality is, it seems to have a "shelf-life." That is to say that, as good as that which an individual leaves to the world may be, it will one day be superseded by that which is deemed to be better. And that is the way life ought to be. Goodness should build on goodness from one generation to another, and that in itself should perpetuate a kind of immortality which grows in quality.

While this kind of immortality makes sense and has good "rhyme and reason," the personal satisfaction which we derive from it is somewhat limited. We are glad to give good things to others in perpetuity, but we would also like an ongoing and endless hope for satisfaction ourselves.

There is a kind of immortality that occurs through our biological creation of children. Our growing knowledge in the area of genetics supports the idea of a kind of immortality in which we participate as we create babies from one generation to the next. This kind of immortality is not particularly rewarding for those who, for whatever reason, do not experience the joy and responsibilities of parenthood.

Akin to genetic immortality carried on from generation to generation is the spiritual immortality of character. The absence of promoting one's biological immortality does not negate the importance of the immortality of influence. A goal of each human being, with or without the experience of parenthood, should be that of being a positive and growing influence on the young, both through the sharing of information, and especially through an exemplary spirit.

THE MYSTERY OF LIFE AND IMMORTALITY
This thing called life is a mystery. Its beginning for any human being is the greatest example of a creative miracle. There is no egg, but from the dust of the earth comes the resources for the formation of an egg which holds part of the potential for new life! There is no sperm, but from the dust of the earth comes resources for the formation of sperm which holds the key to the beginning of new life from the egg! All sperm, no life! All eggs, no life! Join the two and life for a specific species begins!

In the beginning the results of the union of egg and sperm seems to be little more than a "glob" of something, but with time it takes form and becomes a human body with a complexity that causes us to increasingly marvel as we learn more about it. But at some point a process begins which is just as miraculous, and without which the "glob" would continue to be just that--a glob. That body, however, grows and becomes a physical entity, which experiences and expresses a spirit. The spirit is unseen and not measurable, but the impact on the behavior and potential of the body is tremendous.

And then one day, for a variety of reasons, and after a variety of lengths of time, the body dies and returns to the dust from which its original resources came. The spirit is like a flame on a candle. Once it was! Now it isn't! When it is no more where does it go and, even more basic, what was its essence?

TRUST AND TIME
These are questions for which we human beings lack the capacity to find satisfactory answers. Whatever answers we may believe to have rhyme and reason must be embraced by faith. Faith is sometimes right. Faith is sometimes wrong. Faith, which in full bloom translates into trust, is related to time. Neither faith nor trust is required in order to believe in that which is presently and clearly evident. Neither faith nor trust is required to believe in that which has clearly been reality in the past. It is the future of time that tends to create a problem for us. Can we count on God to be as wonderful, loving, and creative in the future as we have come to understand an expression of his nature to be from the past and present?

Trust is related to time. Trust is not dependent on time that is past or on time that is present. Trust is only of value when it is related to the future element of time. But what is time? It is measured in micro-seconds, seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, centuries, and millennia. But what is it? Time is and is no more. What is the difference in time and eternity? Is the experience of time in this moment different from what the experience of time might be one year, fifty years, and one hundred thousand years from now?

The response to these kinds of questions ought to lead us to a more complete understanding and acceptance of the great value of life in this moment. Right now is the same as eternity. The moment of life and opportunity, which we experience now is no different than a moment of life and opportunity was two thousand years ago. The moment of life and opportunity, which we experience now is no different than it will be two thousand or a millions years in the future. This moment--this very moment--is part of eternity, and as such is also part of our immortality, and we ought to treat it as such. Life, time, and immortality!

If this time, in which we now experience life, is not utilized in a positive and productive manner, why do we long for immortality, i.e. life forever? On the other hand, if this time, which is now ours to do something with, is utilized in a positive and productive manner, is it not reasonable to suppose that there is an ongoing nature of life? Is there a kind of immortality, which is different from, and which provides greater personal satisfaction on our "wish list," than the kinds of immortality, which do not involve the continuance of a specific personality? It is at this point that trust, as a product of faith, which ought to be a product of healthy religion, becomes extremely important to our view of the future and our experience of the present.

WHAT WE THINK WE WANT
What most of us who insist on a belief in the immortality of the body and spirit really want is a continuance of life pretty much as we know it, in a loving and secure environment without the tears, suffering, stress, and finiteness of our present experience. In other words, we think God had a good idea. We would just like to see him improve on it a bit!

It was this desire by the persecuted Christians in the early church that brought forth the New Testament Book of Revelation. Not only did they want God to improve a bit on life in immortality, but they also wanted God, on their behalf, to get even with those who persecuted them. In other words, they wanted retribution for their enemies and reward for themselves. Given what they went through, and the ability of human beings to be either extremely loving or extremely hateful, that may not seem like a bad idea. The Book of Revelation should not be viewed as a prediction of the future. It should be viewed as a wish list for a people who were being persecuted beyond imagination. They wished for the wicked and evil people who persecuted them, just what it would seem they deserved, and just what the Book of Revelation promised them, i.e. an eternal hell where they would burn in a lake of fire and brimstone forever. They wished for themselves an eternal experience of heaven in the presence of God who would wipe away all tears from their eyes and in whose presence there would be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain.

Can you blame them? Can you blame us? What they and we really wanted was an eternal experience of living life with all the good things and none of the bad! Is it possible for life to be lived by the entire human family with this kind of experience? Can the human family live together, even with just the suffering which they do not bring upon themselves and one another? Logically it would seem the answer is "yes." Functionally, we give no indication that as a family we are willing to love one another sufficiently to bring this experience to reality.

If we can't experience all good in this life, then why not hope for it in the future? What we hope for and belief in, in relation to immortality, is of no negative consequence as long as it does not impact our expression of life now. That is to say that we should always hold the idealistic dream before us in this life, for this life. If twenty-five people can live together in love, why can't several billion? They can, but will they?

A major purpose in our life in the "here and now" must be viewed as the making of life better than it now is. That is what Jesus endeavored to do. That is our task. In many areas we have made wonderful progress. In some areas we continue to be dismal failures.

What we do know is that "this too shall pass." Each of us, and everyone we love, will, at some moment in time, die. What we really want is to be reunited with them one day in an environment of love, absolute fulfillment, and no suffering--forever. That is what we want. Some translate and detail that into a "happy hunting ground," or "a city whose streets are paved with gold," or "sitting at God's feet and enjoying the bliss of wonderful music forever."

I repeat, we should feel free to embrace whatever "wish list" of belief we choose, as long as it does not diminish or detract from, what ought to be the primary purpose of our life. That goal should be the making of life in this world a bit better because we passed through it.

But what about the future? A goal of religion ought to be the nurturing of such trust in our Creator, that there is neither paralyzing fear nor ambition destructive anticipation for the future. In other words, we have freedom to believe what we will about heaven or hell, but it is important that we not let those beliefs impact our attitude and behavior in this life.

The gift of a healthy religion that relates to life fully should be an evolving trust in our Creator. Greater faith is required--that is to say a more complete trust is required in God--to not know the future than to believe we know it. If we trust the one who has made the past and present possible, we need have no fear of the future. The opportunities for creativity, love, and meaningful experiences in this life are absolutely wonderful.

Trust in our Creator will not demand knowledge of specifics. It will not fear the future after physical death, in which we have no input, nor over which we have control. It is no more necessary for us to know about immortality after physical death than it was for us to know about this part of immortality before our physical birth.

A PERSONAL MESSAGE OF RESURRECTION
Inasmuch as we have good reason to trustingly commit our future after death into the hands of our Creator, we can therefore commit all our resources to making that part of immortality, which we now experience, the very best that it can be. A wonderful lesson which we can each appropriate to ourselves, and which comes from the Easter story, is that of personal new beginnings. We each fall short in some manner. We can be better than we are. We can be better stewards of what we have than we have been. We need new beginnings, again, and again, and again!

The symbolism of the Easter story speaks of another opportunity, a new beginning, and a more hopeful and helpful life. It speaks of new life coming from death. Life does come from death all about us in the physical world. Plant life dies and becomes nourishment for seeds of new life. Salmon die after they have braved the adversity of swimming upstream and have spawned their eggs for the production of new life. Evidence is now coming to us that even in "outer space" there is the dying of the old and the birth of new galaxies.

The Easter message is not confined to a few who believe special things. Though it may come in different packages, it is a message needed and available for all. It is a message directed to all of God's created children who will hear it. It is a wonderful message for everyone to hear. It is a message of hope, trust, and immortality. It is a message to be embraced by each of us as we seek to make the most of the wonderful gift of life, which is now ours.

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