in a graveyard

Last night, the day after Halloween, I took a group of 7 freshmen out into a wooded area that was an unkempt graveyard. With torches lighting the graves we sat and studied how casually we treat Christ's death and resurrection. In the same breath we can talk about our Savior and a cup of coffee. This needs to change. We need to be affected by the understanding of Christ rising to life out of death. We need to understand not only the significance of how this affects our individual lives but how it affects our community of believers. If we understand what Christ's resurrection means we could never be the same. Our lives would be radically different.

It's not that understanding Christ's resurrection is easy. Far from it. But being affected by it is as near as the closest graveyard. Mourning with others who mourn. Sharing stories that made us happy.

There is something very human in the act of mourning; it strips away any "proper" behavior and digs right to the heart of humanity, full of joy, sadness, lack of understanding, and a sense of utter completeness, and at every funeral there is always the reminder of the frailty of life, and our lack of control in anything. We become ultimately aware of Christ and it is in that moment that we realize we go about our days, every day, in a graveyard.