Week 8: Return

Hymns of Eternal Life

When my grandmother passed away, she was laid to rest in a grave next to my grandfather. It is a small cemetery in the country beside a small church. It set low on a hillside just barely out of a deep valley. The hills on all sides of the valley are steep and covered in hardwood trees. As we were standing in this solemn place, my grandma’s sister came close to share a story with me. My grandmother was one of thirteen children who grew up in a small two-bedroom shack in that same valley. They grew up during the depression, and the valley at that time was filled with large families of the same size scattered up and down the creek. There was a schoolhouse that hosted all the children within walking distance. My grandma’s sister recalled a memory that softened her eyes with tears.

She shared that as all the kids from various families would head towards school every morning, they would sing the hymns they all sang at church. You couldn’t see the children through the thick timber, but you could hear their songs echoing through the valley. As they all grew closer to the school, their songs would begin to merge, and they would eventually be singing the same song.

I cannot get that story out of my head. I keep thinking about hearing all those different hymns echoing from different areas through the trees. There will come a day at the return of Jesus when all these different hymns we are singing unite into one. From all provinces and regions of the globe, in all different languages, songs of praise are rising towards Jesus. These collective communities of God are being transformed in ever-increasing measure into the likeness of Jesus.

The sound of good news is rising throughout the world and will eventually join into one magnificent chorus together. On that day, we will all share in our Gospel formed life together, forever.