The Circle of Life is a Crooked Path

“Where, O death, is your victory?
"Where, O death, is your sting?”"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15 55-58

Never view death as a part of the life cycle. The 'circle of life' is the crooked path that John the Baptist said Jesus would make straight. When Jesus went to raise Lazarus from the tomb of death, he wept. He did not rejoice or dance because death is the enemy he came to defeat. Even when he knew he was going to raise him from the dead he wept. Lazarus is not with us, death stole his witness from the earth once again, as was the Apostle Paul's, John Wesley and my Dad!!! The scriptural idea of life is linear not circular. John 5:24 says it this way. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." Passing from death to life happens when we believe the witness of the Apostles who testified that he had been raised from the dead. Passing from death to life happens when we receive forgivingness of sins and our dead hearts are made alive in him. Then we join the line of saints who eagerly await the resurrection of the body.

Tim Rice wrote the lyrics and Elton John performed this song for the popular film Lion King. The song well reflects our state of affairs without divine intervention. "It's The Circle of Life, And it moves us all through despair and hope through faith and love till we find our place On the path unwinding In the Circle The Circle of Life." In as far is this is true it can bring comfort to a mourning soul, but I tell you that there is a day when "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” The former thing is that passes away is that cycle that leads to death. The promise of the resurrection kept the Apostles working with the threat of pain and persecution and death following them every day. The promise of a line that leads to eternal life should also help us stand firm and not be moved because you are not in the circle of life but you have been transformed from death to life.

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