Rethinking Cemeteries

Life is good. That’s what the T-shirts and bumper stickers say these days. But, I’m not buying it (proverbially or literally). Life is good, full stop? Really? Life is good and that’s the end of the story? I think that statement should be followed by a "but". Life is good, but it’s hard. Life is good, but it’s tragic. Maybe it should read: Life is good, but it’s painful… so, look onward!

The other day I went to a cemetery. I went to a cemetery for some encouragement. It was humid, early in the evening, after a summer afternoon thunderstorm. The ground was wet and the mosquitoes were out. Yet, I got out of my car and walked around. This is a cemetery where no one I know is buried, so I was walking nowhere in particular. I just walked and read about strangers. Those who lived long lives, those taken too soon. Wives, mothers, brothers, soldiers. Then I noticed a marble bench with a name on it. It was located under a big oak tree, next to a headstone of the same name. I walked over to it and sat down. Hope they don’t mind, I thought. I folded my legs up Indian-style and rested my chin on my fist, continuing to read the headstones all around the big tree. I sighed and took it all in. It was a lovely cemetery: lush grass, graves well-kept with flowers and memoirs. Then, to my surprise, I heard a melodic noise above me. I looked up and there, hanging from a branch, were two metal wind chimes. They barely moved, delicately playing music as the ever-so-slight wind blew. It was a beautiful, tranquil moment. And that’s when it hit me: it is great to be alive. Tears welled up in my eyes and I breathed deeply of that realization. It is great to be alive. It is great to be among the living. It is great to hear and see and smell and touch and feel. There is so much beauty. We are here for a brief moment in time and there is so much beauty in it all. But, if we think ‘life is good’ and that’s our motto, then I’m afraid we’re missing the point.

Whether we realize it or not, there is a cosmic battle going on at all times, all around us: light vs. darkness, good vs. evil, God vs. the devil. And, we are smack dab in the middle of it all. And, it’s icky. We should never be surprised when appalling, horrifying, sordid atrocities take place here. The Bible says that the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one (1 John 5:19, NKJV). For a time, he is allowed to roam this earth and mess it all up, to break hearts and to break lives. He steals, kills, and destroys - from the heartache of infertility to the devastation of war. Hunger. Divorce. Disease. Women and children are raped. Men are tortured and beheaded. And those are just the things we can speak of. For the majority of humanity, life is, in fact, not good.

The good news is, there will be an end. The enemy will not have his way forever. His time is limited. The tragedy is temporary. One day, one sweet day, a Savior will come and step through the clouds. Evil will be crushed, crushed under the Savior’s foot... forever. The ickiness will end, and a new story will begin. All good will be restored. It will be a glorious day.

In the meantime, we have sunrises. We have sunsets. We have laughter and flowers and wind chimes. As I sat there in the cemetery, my heart was uplifted. I’m thankful that not only will there be an end to all the pain, but that there is so much beauty to behold in the midst of it. There is beauty in the tragedies; there is beauty in the melodies. When the tiny hand of a newborn baby grasps your finger. When you run and feel your heart beat in your chest. When you stand and warm your hands by a crackling fire. Symphonies. Rainbows. Roses in full bloom. Friends. These are the glimpses of the eternal. These are the but the fringes of His works (Job 26:14), the simple tastes of beauty that tell us to endure. And, not only to endure, but to look onward. Look ahead. Have your heart set on His glorious appearing. Have your heart set on the day when we will see Him face to face, when we will know Him as we are known (1 John 3:2). I can't wait to be with Jesus. My heart is already there.

And, it won't be much longer. Life is so short. How brief does 1922-1989 sound? What a blip on the screen of time. That’s not even long enough to unpack and settle in. Our trinkets and gadgets and keepsakes barely collect dust before someone comes behind us to pack them up. Our fashion accessories and photographs will be garbage before too long. So, what's important? What matters? I'm so weary of alarm clocks and email and traffic and TV shows - is this what we were made for?

As I was sitting there reading the headstones, I began to sing the chorus from that old Chris Rice song,

“Teach us to count the days. Teach us to make the days count. Lead us in better ways, 'cause somehow our souls forgot. Life means so much. Life means so much. Life means so much.”

Amidst the tragedy, amidst the beauty of life, how should I be spending my time here? God's answer for me was this: Comfort those who mourn. Be like Enoch and walk with God. Love people. Give to them your time. Sit and talk about Jesus. Get to know Him. Tell others about Him. And when you’re not doing that, enjoy the beauty. Enjoy God. Sing. Dance. Sit on the beach, squish your toes in the sand, and realize that this is, in fact, what you will be doing forever. This is what you were made for. Watch the beautiful sunrise over the still water. Let it ease your pain. Let it lead you to smile, and to look onward.

I’m rethinking cemeteries. I may go back and sit on that marble bench. I may need the encouragement.

Psalm 90:12 – Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
I Corinthians 2:9 – But, it is written, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
Philippians 3:20 – Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mark 13:26 – Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
Isaiah 25:8 – He will swallow up death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces.
Matthew 5:4 – Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

We know there will be a day
God will have the final say
We know how this ends
Love wins!