Here is a blessing – that if we fall asleep, others will look out for us – as we should look out for others as well… Their falling asleep may be from weariness on the road they travel. We can pray them well. Our roads are never going to be without trouble, but our roads will firmly be there. Keep walking… there were churches even in the apostles time which came and went. But we can always keep walking…

Luke’s account of Paul’s travels and teaching in Acts 20: 7-12
On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.”  And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. And they took the youth away alive, and were greatly comforted.

I would be greatly comforted if I saw someone raised from the dead whom I wished was not dead. And I would be comforted if people I knew/know who do not believe in God, would be raised from the dead because of something Jesus said and it resonated JUST at the right time. I wish that we could just walk by the open windows and see who fell out and help them up.

I’ve been thinking about an old advisor of mine who professed his form of atheism and even railed against the belief system.  It wasn’t just ignoring faith, it seemed to be a personal vendetta against it – as if it was against any other system we could believe in as fact. I don’t know how he came to be that way, or why he was so adamant against God and so against how people believe in God. We have seen strife inflicted due to abuse of power and you have a recipe for ruin. Some people can’t see past the hypocrisy and find the truth of Jesus when their anger, not just their blindness gets in the way. It is sad in so many situations.

God Raise His Soul

Sometimes people are so really angry against God, but at least they believe in God. I really loved this sweet but “sullen-ed by the situation” gentleman. Both as a recruited listener to him and with a daughter-like set of ears from time to time, I was familiar with his situation. He would vent to me about the strains of work life and work politics, and I felt sorry for him. I also feel sorry for anyone who strains to be more upset than I think is warranted, who finds fraud and fault in a system that they think would be perfect, but never could be.  Truly I am not them and not living in their shoes, I can’t judge their justification. Yes, justice should prevail, and we all need to rail against big gaps in our smooth trail, but don’t lose your peace through it. Our peace is the only thing that should not fail. Perhaps we will help others by picking up life’s pothole-filling detail.

We could say “God Rest His Soul” – but if someone doesn’t believe in God, a better statement and prayer is: “God Raise His Soul” – Lord please raise them because they are Yours. Yours to raise in so many Ways. RAISE as in nurture and RAISE as in resurrect. God Raise Our Souls. God Praise Your Whole.

Surely, there will be so many goats when the flock is separated (Matthew 25:31-on). Can we pray for all the departed to not be discarded? Our message is for Your Mercy Lord. Retroactive remorse as a matter of course? When raising of the dead, whose regret will You forgive? It is only in You that we will live. I will pray, for those hearing and not.  God Raise Our Souls, because there are a lot!  

Amen