He is Risen!

As you can tell, I've run out of steam the last couple days before I got around to writing in the Blog. To be honest, there hasn't been much to write about. I'm having a harder time seeing my surroundings with fresh eyes, as I did during the first couple months of cruise. When days start to blur together, they go by faster, but it also makes for very boring reading.

Today, of course, was not an ordinary day. Today was a day that changed the world forever. In a small town not too far from where my ship is floating (relative to my home, that is) almost two thousand years ago, a young woman named Mary woke early in the morning to visit the grave of a dear friend who had been executed just a couple days before. You can imagine her distress when she found the tomb open and the body missing. Her first instinct was to question who had taken the body. The perplexing part was that the burial clothes were still there, in the tomb. Who would do such a thing? Before she had much time to think about it, a man standing at the entrance to the tomb asked her, "Why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Without looking up, she assumed the man was the gardener and she answered: "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

He answered, "Mary."

As he called her by name, she looked up and instantly recognized him: "Teacher!" she cried.

He was alive. He is alive. In the span of three days, Christ defeated death, having died on a cross with the weight of mankind's Sin upon him. He is risen!

I celebrated Jesus' resurrection this morning as the sun rose over the flight deck of the ship, with a small crowd gathered around a stage constructed of ordnance carts. We sang together, we ate together, and we worshipped together. It was both solemn and celebratory. Perhaps it was the bleary eyes that made it seem more solemn. I enjoyed the short service, and promptly went back to bed after it was over. The alarm went off again, just in time for the 1000 Protestant worship service, down in the training room: same time and place as every week. Again, a good service talking about the what and so-what of Easter. Many people know what Easter is all about. But it's the reason that really matters! If you know a great story but it has no meaning, that's all it is, a story. A great story can't change the earth! But Jesus' victory over death was more than a story, it was a new beginning of God's work through the lives of men.

Up to that point in history, God communicated with a select group of people, and did amazing things through a select group of people: men like Moses, Elijah, David, Isaiah. But most people were separated from God by the Law and the Priests. The Law had many purposes: mostly it provided guidlines for everyday living for the Isrealites, how to live justly, to relate to one another. The Law also provided a way to relate to God. The problem of course, was that no one could fully obey the Law all the time. People are imperfect, and prone to follow their own desires rather than someone else's. So the only way people could relate to God was through atonement, through Sacrifice. They had to give up that which was precious to them, in an effort to cover their offense before God.

Where did Jesus fit into this? He did what no man had done before him. He lived a truly blameless life. Without sin! True, he got angry on occassion, and was known to toss the tables of seedy business men loitering in the temple, but his righteous indignation was simply a reflection of his purity. In a world where he was surrounded by men who plotted to kill him, who tempted him, who were filled with envy and rage, he held strong and never gave in. He relied on the strength of his Father, continually to hold fast. So when he was raised on the cross and finally died, he was uniquely qualified as God's sacrifice for mankind. He was a pure man who gave up his life in the place of others. He took the punishment for the sin of every other man upon himself with his death. But it wasn't enough to simply die. He overcame death, as a testimony to God's power and forgiveness. In his ressurection, there can be no doubt about who he was or why he died. He lives so that we might not die. He lives so that we might know the incredible peace and joy of eternity with Him. He only asks that we trust in Him. That we believe.

These things happened a long time ago. We have the Bible as a record of the story. But the Bible isn't the end of the story. It was just the beginning. Jesus continues to work today. I don't know when I first met him, whether it was as a young child in Sunday School or as a teenager in youth group, but I know when I first became aware of His influence in my life. It was sometime in the fall of 1989. This was an amazing year in my life. I met my future wife. I had the privilege of running on the fastest cross country team in the country. I ran my first marathon. So many huge events for a 16 year old. None of these events can compare with the single night that changed the course of the rest of my life. I don't remember the date, but I remember the course of the evening like it was yesterday.

In the afternoon at school, I was invited to meet my friends at a house where we knew that a girl's parents would be out of town. This was a first among my group of friends, and sounded pretty interesting. Also that evening was a special program at the church where I had recently started to attend the youth group, having been invited by a friend from my cross country team. The church program featured a guest speaker who would talk about the influences behind many popular music artists of the day. Some of my favorites, Def Leppard, Quiet Riot, and Duran Duran were sure to be brought up! I had a new drivers license and was free to choose how I would spend the evening. Should I expand my horizons with my group of trusted friends I had known since 4th grade? Or should I check out this thing at church, where the music I enjoyed listening to was sure to be ripped apart. I wish I could remember my exact thought process. I wish I could remember exactly why I chose what I did. As you might guess, I chose to go to the program at church. And sure enough, I learned about some subtle and some not-so-subtle demonic influences behind much of my favorite music! But, what I was not prepared for was the last part of the program. The speaker talked about how people are broken and sinful, and fall short of the glory of God. That there is nothing that we can do about it. We are separated from Him. In light of the topic of the evening, this was beginning to make sense. He then talked about Jesus and what he had done on the cross, to take the punishment for our sin. He talked about knowing Jesus, believing in what He had done, and in trusting Him to guide us. It started to come together. At the end of the talk, he invited us to join in a prayer, that sounded something like: "God, I confess I am a sinner. I know I am separated from you and there's nothing that I can do about it. I believe that your son, Jesus, died on the cross in my place and took the pain for my sin. I trust in Him, and ask for your forgiveness. Please make me a new person, washed clean and ready to follow you, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen." I prayed along with him that night, hardly understanding the gravity of the words, but believing them. After the prayer, he asked those who had prayed to raise their hands. I shyly raised my hand with a handful of other people in the sanctuary. Afterward, many people congratulated me on my decision and smiled. I still didn't quite understand.

While I wasn't instantly tranformed into a new person on the surface, a change had begun that I scarecely understood. Changed or not, on the way home from church, I gave in to curiosity and stopped by the house where I knew the party was going on. It was not at all what I expected. For the first time in my life, I saw my close friends drunk. I didn't quite know how to handle it. I felt so out of place and awkward the moment I walked in the door. I don't think I stayed for more than 2 minutes. The influence of Christ in my life had begun when he prompted me at that decision point earlier in the afternoon. He had already prepared me for the message and invitation that would be given at the church. The distraction of the party simply helped me to see how He had clearly worked in my heart and mind--even before I thought I knew Him! He knew me and drew me to Him. Have you ever sensed that you were being drawn? He loves you and wants you to know Him! He's calling. Are you listening? Are you ready to respond?

Post script... I was just about the click the "Publish" button. An email alert flashed in the corner of my screen... from Janell! It was a short little email, reminding me about Emily's special day. Huh? For the past month, I've been planning to call Emily on her birthday on April 9. Wait a minute! Her birthday is April 8! I nearly missed it! Two hours ago, I was sitting down at midrats, enjoying a bowl of Froot Loops, getting tired. I decided to write a quick blog entry, shoot out an email to Janell and get to bed by midnight. Obviously, my plan for a short blog was not His plan. It would have been a huge blow to Emily had I missed her birthday. Being separated for half a year from her daddy is hard enough for a 6 year-old turning 7. But for him to appear to blow off your birthday! I am thankful for Janell's email to correct my poor memory. I am thankful for the Lord's prompting to keep typing. I am thankful for the technology to call my daughter half way around the world from the middle of the ocean to a hand held phone in a friend's living room and hear all about her new Littlest Pet Shop birthday gifts. Now, it's past 3 in the morning and I'll soon be thankful for the gentle rock of the ship, the hum of pumps and fans, and the absolute black of my cocoon-like rack. I'll be asleep in about 3 minutes. I'm looking forward to what God has planned for me tomorrow.