Do you keep inspirational thoughts around for encouragement? It’s an ancient practice, although the expressions have changed over the years. There used to be a phrase carved into jewelry, clocks, coins and statues to keep people focused on their goals. It was Memento Mori. Sometimes it was just the words, sometimes it was a picture of a skull, a skeleton, or an hourglass, but the meaning was the same. “Remember Death. Remember that you will die.”
Every life is precious. Every human is created in the image of God, unique and cannot be replaced, but everyone will die. I’m going to die, and every hour brings me closer to that day.
You’re going to die, too. How does that make you feel to read that? Have you thought about it? Have you considered what comes after death? The encouraging slogans of our current crisis tell us that We’re All in This Together – and I’m grateful for the sense of community that’s resulted, but the truth is that your friends can only go so far with you in suffering. None of them can go through death with you. Only one passed through death, defeated it, and came back victorious. That’s Jesus Christ.
Executed in front of a crowd, then buried in a tomb guarded by the military, and yet he came out of that tomb to walk around, eat with friends, and speak to hundreds of witnesses. He said that if we’d follow him, we wouldn’t be alone when that time comes. And it is coming. We don’t deny the danger out there. We don’t take unnecessary risks. But we face the certainty of death with the power of Christ and his resurrection.
We pray that God will spare our lives, our jobs, our nation, but through it all we have peace, courage, hope… even joy.
Memento Mori. You will die, but today you have life. What will you do with it?
