Our God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Though these men are long dead, they still live, as our God is the God of the living, and not the dead. And this reality remains true as we remember all those who have gone before us in life.
On the one hand, we grieve because death has separated us. We can no longer hear their voice, feel their embrace, or seek them for timely advice in this world. For a time we are separated, and there is no need to deny the pain of this loss.
At the same time, our grief remains grounded in hope and God’s ultimate reality. As God is still the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so he’s still the God of our fathers and all our loved ones who have died. While separated from us now, they still live. And it’s with this confident expectation we can look forward to being reunited with each other again.
Today, we cherish our fond memories, share stories, and honor the role they play in our life even still. To be sure, their influence is not dead, and the lessons we learned from them continue to shape who we are today. And we can keep their memory alive by sharing their story with the next generation.
But more than memories, and even influence, let’s not forget they still live, not just in us, but also in the ongoing reality of God’s eternal story. Our memorials then are never just retrospective; they’re declarations of faith. We remember not to merely preserve the past, but to anticipate the future.
In the end, honor the legacy of all those who have gone on before and share the stories that have shaped you. But remember while death has interrupted our conversation, it has not ended our relationship. Our God is the God of the living and by faith we will be reunited again.
