I Corinthians 15:52, as recorded in the King James Version of the Holy Bible, tells us that a day will come when we "will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye!" This verse goes on to say that a loud blast of the trumpet will sound and the dead will rise to be made perfect in the sight of God.
I have to say that I was reminded of this verse last week when tragedy overtook the parade of wounded veterans who were being honored by the City of Midland and as well as various civic organizations. By now most of you have heard on the local, and yes, the national news about the terrible accident in which a train struck and destroyed one of the trailers on which some veterans and their loved ones were riding. Four service men, who had narrowly escaped death on some foreign battlefield, were killed in the accident. Many others were injured. Indeed the local hospital was taxed to the limit in caring for the survivors.
The tragedy struck so suddenly, with only a loud trumpet blast from the approaching locomotive. Five or less seconds later four men were changed "in a moment." The accident was over in the "twinkling of an eye." These four soldiers were suddenly transformed and met God in whatever form humans assume to meet the Creator. At least one of these brave soldiers died in the act of saving another person's life when he pushed his wife to safety a split second before his own death. His poor wife made her way to his crumpled body seconds later, but he was gone.
I know that the writer of I Corinthians believed that he and his generation would see a day when a "great trumpet blast" would issue from heaven, and that at that time the graves would be opened and those who were "asleep in Christ" would arise, then they would all meet Christ in the air (See I Thessalonians 4:15). I am certainly not a biblical expert, but I did not read in the Bible anywhere that such an event did occur. I know that, in apparent fulfillment of some of the Revelation prophecy, there was a time when the Roman soldiers slaughtered so many Jews that the streets of Jerusalem ran knee deep in blood. Since that time, many Christians have been martyred, and many other Christians have died of in more ordinary ways right up to the present day.
So today I have to wonder to myself if this "loud and terrible trumpet blast" may be heard only by those who are called to their Maker at a given time. Or was this tragedy in Midland one of those occasions where "some were taken" while other were "left behind?" For certainly not all of those who heard the fateful trumpet blasts were "taken." But one thing is certain, not one person knew that morning that four people would be dead before the parade had gone its full route. Not one person who lined the street that afternoon had any idea of the terrible tragedy that would unfold just minutes later. The step from from joyous celebration to insurmountable tears was separated by only a trumpet blast and a sudden impact.
The accident in Midland was so very tragic. Now survivors are picking up their lives and carrying on. Across the nation, our fellow Americans are doing the same in the aftermath of that storm called Sandy. The truth is that whether we are picking up our lives from some tragedy, or we are living the good life with no cares in the world, there is waiting a "loud and terrible trumpet blast" for each one of us. Will that blast be heard by many, or only by one? The lesson to be learned from tragedies such as the Midland Parade accident, or Hurricane Sandy, is that we need to be prepared for the day, the hour, the minute when that trumpet blast will sound. That means living a full life, letting all our loved ones know that they ARE, and (yes I will say it) making sure our "lives" are "in order." Peace with the Good Shepherd may be one of those things lacking in your life. Peace with the Good Shepherd is so valuable in our lives that we should not wait until we are in trouble to get it. We all know tragedy can strike any time, but the accident last week serves to remind us just how quickly it can happen, and then all second chances are gone.
I have to say that I was reminded of this verse last week when tragedy overtook the parade of wounded veterans who were being honored by the City of Midland and as well as various civic organizations. By now most of you have heard on the local, and yes, the national news about the terrible accident in which a train struck and destroyed one of the trailers on which some veterans and their loved ones were riding. Four service men, who had narrowly escaped death on some foreign battlefield, were killed in the accident. Many others were injured. Indeed the local hospital was taxed to the limit in caring for the survivors.
The tragedy struck so suddenly, with only a loud trumpet blast from the approaching locomotive. Five or less seconds later four men were changed "in a moment." The accident was over in the "twinkling of an eye." These four soldiers were suddenly transformed and met God in whatever form humans assume to meet the Creator. At least one of these brave soldiers died in the act of saving another person's life when he pushed his wife to safety a split second before his own death. His poor wife made her way to his crumpled body seconds later, but he was gone.
I know that the writer of I Corinthians believed that he and his generation would see a day when a "great trumpet blast" would issue from heaven, and that at that time the graves would be opened and those who were "asleep in Christ" would arise, then they would all meet Christ in the air (See I Thessalonians 4:15). I am certainly not a biblical expert, but I did not read in the Bible anywhere that such an event did occur. I know that, in apparent fulfillment of some of the Revelation prophecy, there was a time when the Roman soldiers slaughtered so many Jews that the streets of Jerusalem ran knee deep in blood. Since that time, many Christians have been martyred, and many other Christians have died of in more ordinary ways right up to the present day.
So today I have to wonder to myself if this "loud and terrible trumpet blast" may be heard only by those who are called to their Maker at a given time. Or was this tragedy in Midland one of those occasions where "some were taken" while other were "left behind?" For certainly not all of those who heard the fateful trumpet blasts were "taken." But one thing is certain, not one person knew that morning that four people would be dead before the parade had gone its full route. Not one person who lined the street that afternoon had any idea of the terrible tragedy that would unfold just minutes later. The step from from joyous celebration to insurmountable tears was separated by only a trumpet blast and a sudden impact.
The accident in Midland was so very tragic. Now survivors are picking up their lives and carrying on. Across the nation, our fellow Americans are doing the same in the aftermath of that storm called Sandy. The truth is that whether we are picking up our lives from some tragedy, or we are living the good life with no cares in the world, there is waiting a "loud and terrible trumpet blast" for each one of us. Will that blast be heard by many, or only by one? The lesson to be learned from tragedies such as the Midland Parade accident, or Hurricane Sandy, is that we need to be prepared for the day, the hour, the minute when that trumpet blast will sound. That means living a full life, letting all our loved ones know that they ARE, and (yes I will say it) making sure our "lives" are "in order." Peace with the Good Shepherd may be one of those things lacking in your life. Peace with the Good Shepherd is so valuable in our lives that we should not wait until we are in trouble to get it. We all know tragedy can strike any time, but the accident last week serves to remind us just how quickly it can happen, and then all second chances are gone.
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