“he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:4
As God dwells with us, every tear is wiped away. The things of the old world, the things that signify pain and endings in our living (death, mourning, crying and pain) will be no more.
As difficult as these moments are, they add meaning and depth to our lives. In the very acts of pain, mourning, death and crying, we are made new. Our tears are cleansing, refreshing and renewing.
So, this vision is both something to look forward to, and to embrace right now. God is with us to wipe away our tears. God is with us in death and in our dying, until there is no more dying. God is with us in our mourning and our grieving, until these too have passed away.
Prayer:
God,
the first way we look at death,
pain, mourning and crying
passes away. In you we receive
new vision for living.
Amen.