As I sit back in my recliner, I think of a friend who sits in an ICU waiting room. My mind wanders back to the countless hours I spent in the sterile, tension-filled air of ICU waiting rooms. There, amidst the soft snores and restless shuffling of family members clinging to hope and dread in equal measure, I’ve witnessed the entire spectrum of human emotion. The moment a doctor steps into the room, the atmosphere tenses; a good report sends waves of hope cascading through the room, while bad news casts a shadow of despair. And then, there are moments when grief crashes into us unannounced, with the utterance of devastating words: “I’m sorry, she didn’t make it.” In those moments, the reality of mortality, the finite nature of the human body, becomes inescapably clear. The body dies, leaving behind a palpable void.
This is where I’d step in to be close to the family, not set apart to be a doctor of medicine, but set apart to be a doctor of ministry. Not to speak but to be a symbol representing Immortality’s presence. The presence of an ordained minister served as a reminder that Life, the Eternal Spirit of Life, remains undiminished. In the face of overwhelming grief, I didn’t “preach” the immortality of the soul; I simply stood and prayed with the family as a representative of the ever-present Life Force that lives in the shell of mortal bodies. Even when the breath of Life seems extinguished, Life surrounds us, unyielding and perpetual.
For those of you reading this, skeptical of the Immortal Spirit of Life, I invite you to pause and reflect with me. Consider the simple, yet profound act of holding a palm full of wildflower seeds. Have you ever held a palm full of wildflower flower seeds? I have. They are as tiny as a grain of salt. I’ve planted them, watched as Life courageously broke through the soil, and marveled as they bloomed into vibrant flowers.
Do you think the seed knows that it will become a flower?
My faith in the Immortal Spirit of Life is rooted in these everyday miracles. From the majestic oak trees to the delicate roses, Life’s resilience is undeniable. If this Eternal Spirit can spring from the seeds of plants, how can we doubt its presence within us, the mortal human body? The fact that humans have rational minds and self-awareness does not change the reality that Life animates the mortal body.
As an ordained minister set apart to represent Eternal Life, I proclaim that Life springs forth even after death. Death is not an end but a transformation, a moment when the mortal body yields to a new beginning. This conviction is not just an abstract belief; it’s a truth I’ve witnessed with my eyes, understood with my mind, and felt deeply within my being.
For those sitting in the shadow of “Death,” let this be your solace: “Life” lives on. It’s all around you, in every expression of Life. The Spirit of Life dwells within us. In our mortal forms, we are mere seeds of Life, and when our time comes, we do not simply fade away; we give way to new Life.
In the words of Paul from the New Testament, which beautifully encapsulate this truth:
“So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” – 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (NIV)
This passage eloquently speaks to the transformation from mortality to immortality, from seed to Life anew. In the Eternal Spirit of Life, we find not just the promise of continuity but the profound assurance of renewal and hope.
GPTs-and-Me 