Not the End of Life

I don’t go looking for the unusual, but occasionally something out of the ordinary prompts deeper thought.  A while ago, I spotted a newspaper advert for a swimsuit specially designed for ladies who have undergone mastectomy.  While I have no reason to remember the product itself, I do know that it set me thinking about the deep and potentially devastating impact this operation has on the life of the patient.  For a man, I realised, it’s quite impossible to imagine fully the emotional consequences that must continue long after the physical recovery.  I decided there might be many feelings – unjustified, but quite real, nevertheless – of imperfection and inadequacy, and that for some women this trauma could herald the end of their active life.

But the hope offered by this swimsuit is that, in one way at least, mastectomy need not be the end.  So this scenario brings an important lesson for us all.  As we grow in faith, each of us learns to recognise the sin that permeates every aspect of life, and it would be all too easy for us to come to the conclusion that there’s no hope of our ever being worthy of anything.  We wonder what life itself is all about, and the pit of depression looms ever nearer.  I’m sorry to bring up this gloomy prospect when many are reflecting upon the cost of last Christmas, and wondering in these difficult times whether all the expense was worthwhile – but these things all have to be faced sooner or later.

As usual, however, if we turn to our Bible we can find a ray of relieving sunshine.  So wait!  Let’s put a hold on finding that bridge to jump off in our misery!  What is it that St. Paul says about death?  “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (I Cor. 15:54).  Paul is writing here about physical death, but I see no reason why we shouldn’t claim this truth in a spiritual sense, too.  After all, Paul goes on to say (vv. 56-57), “The sting of death is sin ... but ... [God] gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Because in His death and resurrection Jesus paid the price for the sins of us all, they have no more power over us; they can undermine neither our strength nor our ability to work for Him.  As Paul wrote to the Philippians, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Phil. 4:15).  So just as any lady buying that swimsuit would have realised, life hasn’t come to its end – it’s just different.  It is permanently changed, and will never be the same again, but it still goes on ... and that can be a very challenging, but encouraging, thought at the start of a new year!