This was what I opened up my Bible on Sunday and saw. It was THAT memory. The memory of a moment is seared into my memory and some pain remains from that. I suppose over time the depth of loss dissipates, but the sense of loss, of a debit from your life continues. The sting of death, as The Bible describes it, is left lingering in the air.

And here is Pslam 46, that great reminder of God’s presence even as the mountains fall into the sea. I have two references written into the column, the first from Matthew as the angel Gabrielle indicates that the name of the baby to be born by the virgin Mary will be known as Immanuel which means God with us. And Jesus comes into our world – but that is not the entire divine plan for ultimately He offers to come into our lives (our hearts we sometimes say) so that our sins can be forgiven and we can become citizens of heaven. He promises us a new heaven and a new earth and then Revelation 21 talks about a day and a place where a river flows from under the throne of God and along it grow trees whose leaves are used for the healing of the nations!

And how the nations need healing – how we need healing.

Ultimately I came to see that my Dad’s death, his promotion to glory was the ultimate healing. Saved from a world that the Psalmist refers to as the land of the dying. Yes, we are. Yes, we will. But the offer of God is peace – is life – is wholeness – is His presence.

And all that went through my mind on Sunday.

And I thought of the words of benediction which I used for seven years in Calgary.

Now may the God of peace—
who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great Shepherd of the sheep,
and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—
may he equip you with all you need
for doing his will.
May he produce in you,[e]
through the power of Jesus Christ,
every good thing that is pleasing to him.
All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.