Leaving the Mortal Behind

A friend of mine is dying. He has lung cancer. I will not see him before he dies because he lives in another country.
He recently posted his final Facebook post. He is too sick to receive visitors anymore.  I was trying to think of what I could write in the comments. I looked up 2 Corinthians 5 which talks a lot about looking forward to a new home in heaven. And then this in v.4:

For while we are still in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life

 What is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
Stunning!
Mortality is not life - it is not all of life. Real life is coming. It is around the corner. Death is the door into real life.
Mortal life ends, so that real life can begin.

When my friend sheds this mortal coil, he enters into the reality of which this life is such a faint shadow. What we consider our greatest earthly joy or achievement will be unrecognizable from the heights of heaven. That is why Christian funerals are a mixture of sad goodbye and hopeful anticipation.

This Christian hope is grounded in historical fact. When Jesus rose from the dead, he gave us a vision of the future. Jesus really rose from the dead which means that what is mortal in us will one day be swallowed up by life.

For my friend, what I write will become first hand experience, not mere thought or belief. And for that I am both happy and sad.

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