The fallen hawk lay on the forest floor. He had not been dead long. He was still beautiful and noble. Soon he would return to the dust of the forest to become part of a flower, tree or vine. How high had he flown? What vistas had he seen? What conquests over mice and rabbits nourished him? Why was his piercing scream now silent? Was it old age? Had he lived his three score and ten? Or had a hunter used him for target practice?
There in death his remains would provide the essentials of life for a host of other creatures. His death would provide life. Thankfully God will take the memory of our personhood and on resurrection morning put it in a brand new immortal frame and body.
Jesus, who not only proclaimed Himself to be the resurrection and the life but also proved it, promises us so much more than decades of limited walk. Centuries and millenniums await us. We too shall soar like hawks and eagles with nothing to bring us down. Surely one of the most marvelous verses of all scripture is Isaiah 40:31, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Written by Roger Bothwell on September 14, 2000
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