“I Still Believe”

Nancy and I watched a movie the other day. “I Still Believe” won’t win Academy Awards. But that afternoon it was surely worthy of one. A box of used Kleenex was piled between us after viewing. A true, inspiring, and yet very sad story about a rising nineteen year old country music star, his loving girlfriend, and their life journey. A beautiful story of faith, grit and love for one another. Laced with tragedy. Go see it.

Today is Easter Sunday … such a great narrative for this most sacred of days

Let me describe one scene in the movie that continues to resonate within me. Jeremy and Melissa are dating. She is riddled with cancer. They go to a nearby planetarium. Sitting in the middle of a large oval shaped room, the lights gradually go down. The dome ceiling slowly opens above them. And up above is a startling, glorious galaxy of stars. Like bright grains of sand glittering in the night. “Jeremy, isn’t it amazing knowing there are billions of stars in the heavens? But only one. Only one of them is Earth.” Then she said this. “And do you see that swirling passage, opening the way to more? Up there. An endless cave. Right in the middle of the constellation. Beyond the billions of stars we can see … are trillions, countless more. All millions of light years away.”

“But Jeremy, if all this indeed is God’s creation … the most miraculous part here? For me? Knowing for sure that HE knows my name. I’m ill … but I know how much He loves me. God knows me by name.” The camera then focuses on the heavens above as Melissa and Jeremy tearfully gaze at the countenance. The wonder … the miracle of it all.
Ultimately, Melissa passes away. Leaving Jeremy remembering her delight in knowing … He loves her so. He knows her by her name.

This Easter Sunday Christians around the world celebrate the miracle of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Jewish will honor God with Passover. Hinduism, Buddhism have their own form of celebration. These traditions … Easter for sure, have lasted for thousands of years. Thousands. Remembrances as brilliant today as they were then. So what did I say to myself as I watched this unforgettable scene in “I Still Believe?” … Here we are. Fighting the critical challenges of a pandemic. Fear, uncertainty … in too many cases the devastation of death. The standard closing of most conversations … articles in papers? “Be safe.”

When I hear these words? My thoughts turn to the heavens. Look at all those stars. The infinite existence of power, vastness and might … beyond comprehension. Unable to conceive what I’m seeing, experiencing … I say this. “We are safe.” Whether it be God or Jesus or some other higher power. We can be confident that we on Earth are but one minute particle of all THAT IS. We can have faith that however all was created, our lives, our time here can be dedicated to a faith. Find here the safety we urgently want to, need to embrace. Through Him. Just as Melissa did.

Whatever faith we choose. Who knows when we will leave this life. Where He will take us. Probably somewhere out there. In the galaxy among the stars. We need not fear anything knowing there is something so much larger than us. He always … will always be in charge. And above all … HE WILL KNOW MY NAME … all our names. Yours too.

The Lord be praised this blessed day …

Happy Easter!