The cross… death, dying in my place etc…
We have been in the UK for a few days and set the date to arrive for the funeral of Lucie Moore, passing away at 44. She was born literally a few doors away from where Sue and I lived, and the Moore family have always been a connection and more than that an inspiration of faith, humility and above everything love.
The parish church in Luton was packed with a real testimony of Lucie’s amazing impact. Never one to shout out about her own achievements but present were family, work collegues, University contacts, neighbour, friends from childhood, inter-faith groups. Hugely moving, and of course premature at 44 years old, but a testimony to a life lived to the full and for the transformation of our world.
(Her focused work was as CEO of CEASE.)
Got me thinking too about death and the death of Jesus. With the death of Jesus (and for this I owe my developing thoughts to Andrew Rillera’s published work in Lamb of the Free) it is more about the presentation of life to God – if Jesus was not raised from the dead then we are still in our sins (1 Cor. 15), and though the redemptive work on earth is finished with the cross, but beyond the cross in the hours that were the other side there was the continuance of work leading into an ever-continual intercession. Death of the saints? I am sure that there is the presentation of life, our life’s work to heaven’s presence.
I am sure that for Lucie her life’s work are having a continued impact, not simply through inspiration, but an impact into our world. I was provoked. One life, today to respond and act, and every cup of cold water given noted by heaven. Changing the world through one cup at a time, a life presented to God.