Beneath the dark, foreboding surface of the ocean, lies a world that remains a mysterious place. On one side of that mysterious line of blue is a world we see and are familiar with. Just below, however, is a world
Beneath the dark, foreboding surface of the ocean, lies a world that remains a mysterious place. On one side of that mysterious line of blue is a world we see and are familiar with. Just below, however, is a world unknown to us that can call up within us our deepest fears, regardless of how many shows we have seen about the beauties of the deep blue. There is another mysterious line in our world that just as easily instills similar fears in us. We call that line death. We fear its finality, as well as its unavailability to any except those who pass over.
Just as there is a world beneath the ocean’s blue line, there is a world on the other side of this line of death. We lived there before we came here. Did not God tell that ancient prophet Jeremiah that “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee.”
Or as C.S. Lewis so eloquently wrote, we have come “trailing clouds of glory … from God, who is our home.” Is it not to be expected then, that someday we may return to that same home trailing similar clouds of glory? To those whose hearts are pure, the crossing will be one of great joy, as they find themselves, as did the Savior, free from the pains and sorrows of this world. However, we who remain may indeed have our hearts torn asunder as we look upon the now lifeless body that once laughed and loved and wonder to ourselves, “Where are they now?”
We are not alone in that question. Countless souls have left this earthly sphere to go home without knowing beforehand what came next.
But two millennia ago, a precious baby was born into this world who grew to be the savior of the world, Jesus Christ. As his bruised and broken body hung on that sacred cross, his pain was unimaginable to us. Death was imminent. He knew that he would soon cross over that line of finality that we all fear so much.
Can we imagine that as he drew closer to his passing, that his fear of crossing also increased? Of course not, the very thought is absurd! Yet our own hearts falter over making the very same crossing.
As Jesus’ life drew to a close he gathered around him those he dearly loved, telling them to be of good cheer for he had overcome the world. Because he did, we have a sure promise that we, too, will live again.
As a loved one passes over that line of death, our hearts ache as we say our goodbyes, but on the other side of that veil of forgetfulness are thousands of loved ones waiting in anxious anticipation to welcome home one who is so dearly, dearly loved.
They are home, and we will join them soon enough. Until then, let us be grateful for He who made it possible.
• Craig Lindquist is a Kauai resident and Kapaa business owner.
