Graveyards.

It is good for Christians to visit graveyards. They are good to visit because they are sobering places. They remind us of the reality of death and therefore of the finitude of life. As you wander around a graveyard you can ponder upon long lives and short lives. Whatever the length though, following on from the principle outworked in Genesis 5 death came to each individual and to each generation.

We live in a generation which camouflages death. The latent desire is to avoid death and to put it away into never-never land. But a graveyard tells us that is a deception. Death is real. This life which we are living now is not on a permanent loan, but it is a temporary lease. As we read in Hebrews 9:27-28 death and judgement are appointed to all.

Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Then study the gravestones. Consider that the person buried there is not a figment of the imagination, but a real person. A person of history with real relationships passed away. Read what it says of them. Perhaps there are times when you alight on a gravestone and think yes they must have had real faith. Such is the way of the Lord and His grace.

Moreover a graveyard reminds us of what really matters in life. All the “toys” we acquire will soon be gone as Paul reminds us in 1 Timothy 6:7:  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

And in the context of our perspective on the needs of others we are reminded through a graveyard that real people around us are all heading into a real eternity. They need to know Christ. Oh how people need to know Christ!

(Original posted at Venabling on 13/10/2014)