Yesterday in the bulletin, I wrote about All Saints Day, a man-made holiday conceived as a way to remember Christians who have died. Of course, Christians understand that “death” is a battle we have overcome through Jesus: Souls still leave bodies, but for God’s people, that is not death but peaceful slumber. Our so-called “dead” brethren merely rest in peace, awaiting the day when the Lord will descend from Heaven with a shout. It will be a cry so commanding it will raise the sleeping saints from their graves to answer the call.
Today, a tremendous Christian lady will be laid to rest. I’ve known Barbara Knight for over twenty years, which is but a fraction that many other of God’s children can say. Nevertheless, in that time, I’ve been able to admire her royal disposition, her genuine love of the Lord, and her fierce dedication to her husband, Ted. Barbara, known to her husband as “my Lady,” was the consummate preacher’s wife, and rarely would you see one without the other. I don’t know if there’s a person in our brotherhood, who knew the two of them, that hasn’t been impressed by their relationship; it’s been a model for others to emulate. Likewise, I don’t think there’s a Christian around that hasn’t lifted up prayers on their behalf over the past several months, as Barbara’s battle with Alzheimer’s Disease slowly took its toll on her.
Today will not be an easy day for many in the Kingdom, but parting is such sweet sorrow, in that we say goodbye but only for a time. We say goodbye with the blessed assurance and the comfort that comes with knowing that the dead are only sleeping, and that one day, when the King returns, we will all be together forever and ever (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
Amen.
~ Matthew