Raising Lazarus and Hope
Strong Son of God, immortal Love,
Whom we, that have not seen thy face,
By faith, and faith alone, embrace,
Believing where we cannot prove;
Our little systems have their day;
They have their day and cease to be:
They are but broken lights of thee,
And thou, O Lord, art more than they.
- Strong Son of God, Immortal Love, Alfred Tennyson
This is the opening of Tennyson’s prayer, In Memoriam, in which he explores faith and hope in reaction to the doubt and loss he experienced when he lost a close friend. The beauty of this poem is the way he leans into the promise of God’s providence in the midst of his loss. In Memoriam, originally titled The Way of the Soul, is an immersive exploration of finding hope.
This poem comes to mind as we approach the end of this Lenten season. This coming Sunday we will hear about Mary’s response to Jesus raising her brother, Lazarus, from the dead. There are many biblical moments that are worth trying to imagine. I find myself wondering what it must have been like to sit at the table with your brother who had been dead for four days. What must it have been like to look at Life incarnate who was able to bring Lazarus back to the table? I pray you will join us in church on Sunday as my sermon dives deep into what happens when God brings life in the midst of much that is passing away. I leave you with the final two verses of Tennyson’s long beautiful poem and prayer:
Whereof the man, that with me trod
This planet, was a noble type
Appearing ere the times were ripe,
That friend of mine who lives in God,
That God, which ever lives and loves,
One God, one law, one element,
And one far-off divine event,
To which the whole creation moves.
We love you and God loves you,
Josh Condon+