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What If Life Was More Powerful Than Death?

by Eric Elkin

“and they will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and flog and crucify, and on the third day He will be raised up. ”

— Matthew 20:19

A benefit of living in a quiet suburb of a large metropolitan area is one can decide what to see. Wars, social upheaval, and famines rarely happen in the suburbs. We have the freedom to choose if we want to see these things taking place. On Tuesday morning, scripture disturbed our Bible Study group's illusion of peace.

Our group listened to Jesus tell his disciples of things to come. "Nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines." The words gave us pause; not only will these things happen, they did happen and are currently taking place. We all wondered why the world must suffer this way.

The conversation the reading inspired reminded me of Carl Sagan's "A Pale Blue Dot." On Valentine's Day, 1990, Carl Sagan requested the Voyageur 1 space probe to capture a picture of Earth before it moved into the solar system's fringes. In the photo, Earth is a speck of dust, a pale blue dot in a massive field of darkness. The image led to a book and then into a video. In the video, Sagan reads an excerpt from the book.

Some might find the video haunting. The image can make our lives seem so meaningless. I feel the video exposes the silliness of human hatred, violence, and self-importance. The problems which seek to cripple my sense of hope fade away when placed in the perspective of Earth as a pale blue dot. In contrast to Sagan's intent, I do not see an illusion of self-importance. Instead, I understand what life on Earth is — one of the rarest and most precious gifts in a universe filled with darkness and nothingness.

“Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies, you will not find another.”

— Carl Sagan

The only thing that disturbs me about the video is Sagan's conclusion. Looking at the picture, Sagan surmises, "There is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves." My objection is not simply a matter of theological perspective. Scientifically speaking, there is more than a hint of salvation. All of Earth and the universe sing a song of resurrection, and nature shows us that death is a gateway to new life.

The more we live in harmony with the universe, the better our experience of living. However, the Earth does not need us; we need the Earth. History bares witness to this truth. Just ask the dinosaurs. Neil DeGrasse Tyson often points to how many forces in the universe simultaneously try to kill you. Yet, life on the pale blue dot thrives even in the midst of wars, famines, and natural disasters.

The question for Lent and beyond is this, what if? What if Jesus did rise up from the dead after three days? What if Jesus was raised by a mysterious power, the same mysterious power holding the entire universe together? What if Jesus' resurrection was not some new phenomenon passed on but a witness to a preexisting reality?

You don't have to believe in the resurrection and life after death. In the same way, you do not need to believe in oxygen, gravity, or black holes. Reality is not defined by what we believe in but by what is. In my life, I have had more than a hint resurrection is real. And I will allow that reality to define my life.

The season of Lent is a journey of discovery. Although, we are not led to some foreign place. Instead, we are led to old witnesses who proclaim a certain truth. The final destination is an empty tomb and a question, what if? What if life, our lives, was more powerful than death? What if we didn't need to fear an end but enjoy a future? Abundant life on a pale blue dot floating in darkness and nothingness suggests this is true.

Click to read Matthew 20:17-19