From the moment of our conception, to the last breath we release in this world
God is present; in the labor of our coming; in the labor of our leaving; in the love and in the rubble we leave behind.

Day passes. Night falls. Things come to an end; even lives that are precious to us.
How easy it would be to assume that what we see is all there is and that life has no meaning or connection beyond the span of our days.

How easy, but how barren.

One can look at life and see only shadows,
or the night sky and notice only dark and empty distance
punctuated by tiny and uncaring stars.

Or we can stand with Isaiah who looks death and loss in the face
and still speaks of a shining hope, and gladness yet to come.

We can move in concert with the psalmist; who knows that they are known, and held, by a God who will not lose them.

We can look for our true selves in Page's account of a contemporary spiritual journey in which a small community traveled the road from death to life. We can listen deeply to the annunciation that they stood changed at the threshold when death came again a second time. There was still loss, but there were angels. There was still passing away, but there was also the coming of God, and a promise of something eternal. And they knew that there was a shining hope and that gladness would come again.

There are times of light in the Christian journey.
There are also dark and difficult times.
But there are warm stars to lighten the darkness, and angels along the way.

Anton Chekov once wrote. "We shall find peace.
We shall hear angels, we shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds."
This is a picture of completion, not a description of our end.

We become complete in God. His life flows into and through us, now, and forever.

This is the completion of which Jesus spoke when he said:
"I am the resurrection and the life.
Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live,
and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?

Martha answered "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah,
the Son of God, the one coming into the world."

And God was present, then.
And God is with us now.
AMEN.