The Wounds of a Friend

Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,

but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.

I have a strange friend. He has convinced me that the way he shows love is to call me names (e.g. dork, dweeb, dufus, putz, or his favorite, "galoot"!) He's convinced me so well, that I do the same to him (e.g. stubby, schmuck, looser, and my favorite, "Barney Rubble Toes"!)

It's weird, but it seems to work for us. We've known each other since the 3rd grade and our love is closer than that of brothers.

But the other day he did something that made me feel even more loved. He confronted me with my sin. It was like he threw cold water in my face while I was sleeping. It hurt and scared me and made me want to throw him out a window. But it was so right.

I was walking around "coma-like" and his words shook me back to reality.

In the end, I much prefer the "wounds of a friend" to the "kisses of an enemy".

Thanks, Stubby!

Closing the Loop

A friend of mine sent me an email the other day saying, "Sorry, I didn't close the loop on that." He was referring to a promised phone call. He promised to call and did not. He didn't "close the loop". It's an interesting expression and it's what I thought of when I read this paragraph from 1 Corinthians 15.22-28:

For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 15:23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; then when Christ comes, those who belong to him.15:24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he has brought to an end all rule and all authority and power. 15:25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 15:26 The last enemy to be eliminated is death. 15:27 For he has put everything in subjection under his feet. But when it says “everything” has been put in subjection, it is clear that this does not include the one who put everything in subjection to him. 15:28 And when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

In this paragraph, we see a summary of the culmination of all things. In the end, Christ is raised, all His are raised, all enemies are conquered, death is conquered, everything is subjected to Christ, Christ is subjected to God, and life is restored. Paradise is regained!

What we lost in the first Adam, is restored in the last Adam. Death is beaten. Life reigns!

This is what resurrection means. Resurrection is not just making a dead person alive again. Resurrection is the restoration of what God intended in the first place. Resurrection represents our great sin and God’s great grace. Resurrection is the place where Justice and Mercy kiss. Resurrection is beauty and wholeness. Resurrection is the completion of the plan. Resurrection is where we are headed. We are on a mission, a journey, and the destination is life. This life is just the path. Resurrection is where the path ends.

The resurrection is “closing the loop”.