Where are They Now?

From time to time I see a website article asking, “Where are they now?” in relation to an old TV show. The Brady Bunch or Little House on the Prairie are common examples. Sometimes the “Where are they now?” question has to do with rock stars or sports players. The human-interest stories are fun to read and often reveal things that we can relate to, especially hardships and suffering.

There is a deeper level to the “Where are they now?” question. It has to do with life after death. My wife Carol and I found a well-kept old cemetery in which to take our daily walk; rarely seeing anyone along the way. The engraved names and sentiments on the gravestones and monuments are but a peek at a life lived long ago. There are soldiers and ministers, captains of industry, infants and even some dear friends. It could be asked, “Where are they now?” Absent a faith that sees human death as not the end but a beginning, something new, a resurrection, I would not even ask the question.

I feel a connection through the Holy Spirit with my friends and family who have died yet live in Christ. This is a Pentecost connection. The birth of the Church is the “in Christ” human event where we become the Body of Christ. It is odd to hear news reports that the churches are closed. You and I are the doors of the church and we are always open to share and be the love of Jesus to a hurting world. Inside the church building, our holy place, the saints gather, they celebrate Communion, sing hymns, and pray for us as they wait for us to return.

The question, “Where are they now?” is about space and time. With God there is only now, God Is. Every day is Pentecost. John Wesley is still praying for our hearts to be strangely warmed as we encounter Christ through the Holy Spirit. Where are they now? They never left.