They came from 80-plus nations, hoping for Olympic glory. The athletes of the Winter Olympics descended on Vancouver with lots of hype and lots of hope. Yes, there were clouds in the Vancouver sky, but that didn't dim their flame.
But then came the big cloud that has hung over the Olympics since before the opening ceremonies. The sudden and violent death of one of their fellow Olympians. If you've watched the Olympics much, you've seen repeated replays of the fatal, high-speed accident that ended the life of a young Georgian luge racer in a moment. Even the high-flying celebration and pageantry of the opening ceremonies came to a jarring halt when the stadium went quiet for a moment of silence in his honor. You could see the deep emotion on the faces of some of the world's best athletes as the glory was, in that moment, overtaken by grief.
Death is life's insistent interruption. It always stops the party. It stops the games we play and makes us think about things we otherwise push to the back. It brings to center stage in our mind great memories, unresolved pain, deep regrets and haunting questions. And that's not all bad.
When you look in the casket, you're reminded, "One day, that will be me." Every Olympic athlete was suddenly reminded of their own mortality - as young and strong as they are. It's good to be reminded that "you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14).
I know that I'm running so fast and meeting so many demands that it's easy to forget the big picture. Death - or the near death of you or someone you love - is a painful but valuable wakeup call. It brings us back to some central questions that help us see life more clearly.
- Have I let the things that really matter get crowded out by things that really don't? Pressure perverts priorities. We need to stop sometimes and check our priorities. Are we neglecting someone we love? Are we building our kingdom more than His kingdom? Are we spending on stuff that won't last or investing in things that will last forever? "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).
- What kind of legacy am I leaving? When we've breathed our last, will we leave behind a mess or a blessing? A trail of tears or a trail of hope?
- Am I ready for eternity, whenever and however it comes? "You do not know what a day may bring forth" (Proverbs 27:1). For millions of our fellow humans, eternity will begin today without warning. So, "prepare to meet your God" (Amos 4:12). The Bible lifts the curtain on what's beyond our final heartbeat when it says, "Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). Judgment. A reckoning for every time I did it my way instead of God's way.
Ready to meet God means having every sin of your life forgiven, because there's no way we can enter heaven with our sin. I'm shouting "hallelujah" today because Jesus "carried our sins in His own body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24). I did the sinning, but He did the dying so I don't have to. If I, as the Bible says, "believe in Him" then I "shall not perish but will have eternal life" (John 3:16). Jesus - and only Jesus - makes me ready for eternity, whenever it comes.
Death is life's ultimate wakeup call. Answer the call...and get the message.