Spiritual Dying

Here is a reflection I gave to our sisters a couple of weeks ago.

What kind of death have you ever experienced or may be experiencing right now?  Spiritual Death is defined as separation from God.  However, I would like to look at this a little differently.
Lazarus was physically dead, but have you ever thought about the spiritual death that Mary and Martha were experience4ing?  "Why didn't you come sooner?  If only you had been here our brother would not have died."  Mary of Bethany never did lose hope when she proclaimed that she believed that Jesus was the Son of God, the one who came into the world.

Like Lazarus, who was all bound up by the wrappings on his body, so too can we be bound up by our spiritual dyings.  Physical diminishment, death of a family member can make us fee sad or angry.  We may cry or grieve.  All are natural responses.  But happens when these responses are so great that we cry out to God, "Where are you?  Why did this happen?"  We can despair, lose hope in God or even become depressed.  We can be so wrapped tightly bound that we experience spiritual death.

When my brother-in-law died in December, my sister said, "What good were all our prayers?"

Jesus came not to free us not only from physical death, but also from spiritual death.  He cannot change our physical diminishments, nor stop our physical dying.  Jesus came so we can have life; spiritual life with him now and in heaven.

Jesus said that he is the resurrection and the life. He promised that he would always be with us.  We know that we can turn to him to give new life to our spiritual dyings.  It can happen quickly or it may happen gradually.  But if we hold on to the hope, love, and strength that comes to us through Jesus, we will experience new life here and now.