Hereafter

In 2010, a movie called Hereafter was released which dealt with 3 different people’s struggle with the effect of death on their lives. Each one experienced death (or near-death) in a different way and thus they sought answers to deal with it, up to and including the idea of the after-life (hereafter). And the truth is, don’t we all deal with these types of questions? I mean, even though as Christians we have belief in heaven, how many times do we find ourselves wondering and questioning what it will be like? Or having doubts?

Today, as we continue our journey though the “I AM” statements, we examine one of the more famous and probably the most powerful statement from Jesus – “I am the resurrection and the life.” This statement is read very often at funerals, as it is a powerful reminder of the promise we have through Jesus that our souls will be resurrected once our time on this world ends, and we will live eternally in heaven. We just need to have faith in Christ – who paved the way for eternal life through his own death and resurrection as he took our place on the cross. But even more, this statement from Jesus talks about our rebirth – a rebirth we experience when we die to our old ways and live anew with the power of Christ living in our hearts. And this rebirth, this resurrection, appears to us in many ways in our daily lives. Yes, signs of resurrection can be seen all around us – spring, butterflies, newly bloomed flowers, a new baby, and most importantly – the sacrament of Holy Communion in which we celebrate the truth of eternal life through Christ, the resurrection and life. So, as we ponder the hereafter, may we rejoice in the victory of Jesus offered to all of us!