A Respite from Romans

Romans 8:35-39

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all day long;
    we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I'm taking a brief detour from the characters from the Old Testament for this respite from Romans.  Verses 38 and 39 are perhaps my favorite in scripture - and I'm guessing I'm not alone.  They are verses you hear often at funerals and during times of hardship and trial.

This passage is on my mind because this week Don Costin, father of my heart-sister from high school, Donna, passed away.  It's hard to be so far away from someone you love when they are going through the valley of the shadow of death.  But for many reasons I can't be in Texas right now to be with Donna and her family.

This passage reminds me that they aren't alone as they go through this.

When I was a teenager, and my parents were going through a difficult marriage that eventually ended in divorce, going to Donna's house was always like going to an oasis.  First of all, her parents always welcomed me as part of the family, which for a teenager whose own family was breaking apart, was soothing balm.

Then, their house was just so cool!  Donna's parents dealt in antiques.  Their home was a treasure trove of wonderful things to explore. Plus her dad for many years ran the scoreboard for the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium.  In Cowboy country, it didn't get cooler than that.

Memories include playing basketball on their front yard with a ball and and old toilet seat cover!  Her dad helping me with car problems (I never did give back that wrench!) and helping both Donna and me move in my junior and Donna's sophomore year at the University of Texas.

And them putting up with me all day and all night on July 13, 1985 as Donna and I watched the entire Live Aid concert in our pajamas!

Death is hard.  But I am more and more convinced that it is also holy.  One of the things that touched me most as I thought about Mr. Costin passing this week was something his son posted on his Facebook page.  He thanked his father for showing him how to live with integrity and die with dignity.  What more can you ask of a father?

I can't be there with Donna as they say their final goodbyes.  That's hard.  Writing this small tribute is perhaps the best I can do.

But what I can do is nothing compared to what the love of God in Christ can do. 

Nothing can separate us from that love.  Nothing.  Not us.  Not our brokenness. Not our selfishness.  Not the powers that be.  Not life.

And not death.

Holy Lord, stay with those who are grieving the loss of a loved one.  Give strength to those who still sit by a bedside waiting as a loved one lies near death.  And remind us always that nothing - not even death - separates us from your love.  Amen.