"I Hate Death"

Those were the words of my wife this morning as she heard that Buster, the family dog, had died. She was surprised that she was crying--the dog had never been trustworthy with our kids. But I understood her tears. Buster was a part of our family, a part of our lives--and death hurts. It's a strange void, it feels unnatural. Emma, almost 9 asked some questions, trying to understand; Grace, 6, cried and said, "but I didn't get to say good-bye; and Chloe, 4, said "Oh well, Buster's in Heaven! At weast we get to see him in heaven."

When I think of the oil spill, and the images of dead or dying animals and birds--I believe we and our children are bumping up against this one terrible realty--We Hate Death! And we should! Because, joy of joys, God Hates Death! That's what I will tell my kids tonight as we talk about Buster, or the oil spill. God hates death (and the chaos of this world) because it is NOT natural. His plan for us was a perfect world! In fact, he declares the death and chaos of this world His enemy --"and the final enemy, Death, will be overthrown...Death itself will be swallowed up in victory!" Chloe was right--death, sickness, pain are not the end, in fact they are a terrible aberration to be endured until the coming victory of the True King.