soma

I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed– in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (1 Cor 15:50-54)

Deep within the blackness of my peaceful slumber I see a pinprick of light ascending from below. It is approaching at a great speed; at such a rate, in fact, that within seconds it envelops my entire view. It is so bright that I can see into it no further than the darkness of before, but this light is filled with an inexpressible expectation.

From what seems to be a tiny seed inside me, there takes shape a form unlike I have ever known, a form now seen with eyes which thrive in this state of glory. It seems vaguely reminiscent of something I once knew before, but this something had been transformed and is now more a part of me than my flesh ever had been. It is a fullness that is perfectly whole, like the Jesus I had known, only recreated for the world of light. The pains of bleeding and heartache are gone, and there is no stench of disease or death to be found, only a fragrence like that of flowers in spring but filled with more life than seemed possible.

As I reach out my re-born hands, I find the tomb that had once held me in is no longer there. The stone has been rolled away, but even if it wasn't, I have the feeling that I could've walked right through it.

I am in a garden again. This time, though, there are no dead or dying plants or sick and mocking people. Instead, there are countless others, some whom I know and the rest in whom I only recognize a family likeness. They are majestic in their resplendent beauty, forged through years of sufferings and persecution for the faith they clinged so strongly to. It is then then I recognize not only a family likeness, but myself in their shining faces. We are one. We are a Body. Here there is no Anglican or Brethern, no slave or free. It is as though we are a living, moving reflection in a crystal pond. All that is needed is the One whom we reflect.

Then, coming down the path towards me, I see one who was unlike the others. He appears to be a gardener of some sort, one who had tended souls from their conception in the heart of God to their completion and re-birth. Is it really Him? For a brief moment, it is beyond my hope. This would be too good to be true, something I dare not dream. I had said I would go to die with Him, but to expect a return could not be imagined.

He continues to approach. He is very close now. "Shalom," he says, and a deep peace beyond comprehension floods my soul. Reaching out familiar hands, he says, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." I grasp His warm, scarred hands - hands scarred by what was once my disease - and look deep into His eyes of sublime love and an infinite joy which has overcome untold sadness.

In the consummation of all love, tears flood my eyes, and I sink to the ground, my hands still clutching His, and His mine. "My Lord and my God!" We and He are face to Face; I am my Beloved's and He is mine. I know Him fully, just as I am fully known, and we are bound in an inseperable love that has shattered the chains of death itself.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls (1 Pe 1:3-9)