Happy Thanksgiving! This is a time of the year when those two primary elements of life - food and faith - come together in surprising ways. Perhaps you've heard or read this famous story: a woman was dying of a terminal illness, and she met with her pastor to plan her funeral rites. The woman made a strange request. "Father, I'm going to have an open casket for the viewing, and I'd like to be lying in the casket holding a fork." "Why would you do that," the pastor asked, puzzled. The woman explained. "When I was a child, I loved going to church potluck dinners. I would sit next to my grandmother and, when they came to clear the dinner plates she would smile and whisper to me, 'keep your fork!' I would be filled with excited anticipation, because then I knew there was something special after dinner, some delicious dessert still to come." The pastor honored her request and, a few weeks later when she passed, she lay very serenely in the casket, smiling and holding a fork. When mourners asked why she held a fork, the pastor answered simply: "Because she knew the best was yet to come." This is a sweet story, and it reflects insight into Christian hope. The letter to the Hebrews states, "Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy" (Hebrews 10:23). The Lord promises life to those who believe. And living with a belief in life after death is not only hopeful, it is downright logical. Consider this thought experiment (again, forks and food are involved). If you hadn't eaten for days, you'd be hungry. Imagine a close friend shows you a closed door and tells you behind that door is a Thanksgiving feast with all your favorite holiday foods...OR NOT. If there is indeed a feast behind the door, you'll need to carry a fork with you, and you can eat to your heart's delight. If you don't have a fork, you can't eat. It's possible that there is not a feast on the other side of the door, but you won't know till you get there. The only logical thing to do is go through the door with a fork! If there is no feast there, carrying a fork is a very small burden, at best. But if a feast is waiting for us, having the fork is an enormous advantage. In Christian apologetics, this is a simple argument against atheism. If Christianity is false and death is the end of everything, it won't matter what you believed in life. But if Christianity is true, it matters a great deal. And we know that the fully-lived Christian life is not a burden at all – it can bring joy, freedom, and peace to yourself and others. And if, as we believe, there is a "wedding supper of the Lamb" (Rev. 19:9) on the other side of that door, we'll be glad to have come prepared.
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December 2020
CategoriesAlex E. HillCatholic husband for 36 years. Catholic father of 6. Catholic musician, published Catholic composer. Lover of authentic Catholic liturgy and music, in line with Catholic teaching. Did we mention Catholic? |