My Son's Sandals and Good Friday

This picture of my son's shoes on his doorstep, where he left them the night before he went to Heaven, puts a thick lump in my throat, a knife pang in my chest, and hot tears down my cheeks. The shoes that will never be worn again, personify him. They reflect his glory-- his beautiful size 12 feet, his slip-on relaxed approach to life, his California/Maui roots, the neat alignment by the door indicative of his orderliness, on the porch of the L.A. bungalow that he was so enthusiastic about making into a home. Inside the door, a full and rich landscape of his life: books, music, instruments, recording equipment, a closet full of shirts that carry his scent, a desk full of media industry business cards, a kitchen full of the gourmet foods he loved to eat, a dining room with his favorite wine, on a mid-century mahogany table he had just purchased, decorated with a handwoven shawl he and Rachel picked up in Central America on their year-long road trip. Outside, his van "Gunther" parked in the driveway, near a garage with neatly boxed ski equipment and surfboards.

A vibrant and bursting life, beautiful in its heartbeat and energy, cut short by an enemy called death. Oh, the grief of early and sudden death. It is the miserable thief of happiness, hope, and joy. And Death, the enemy who stole my son, steals us all, sooner or later.

So today, on Good Friday, I am thankful that Christ also suffered an early death, and died for the lost, for the dark and heavy sins of humanity, for the heartbreak of a bereaved mother. 2000 years ago, on a lonely hill far away, on a harsh cross, Jesus willingly took nails in his hands and feet. He died himself, so that the finality of death would be destroyed. Because of Jesus, someday I will see my son alive and vibrant again.

The suffering of Christ has never meant so much to me as it does this Good Friday. Perhaps Jesus' awesome, sacrificial, history-changing act doesn't sink in till you lose someone you feel you can't live without. My son Joey, whom I miss so deeply, will not be forever separated from us. One day, because of Jesus, we will have a reunion that never ends, and it will explode with life. Death will be done. Heaven and earth will burst with celebration and hope and joy and happiness and peace. All together again.

Good, Good Friday.

"...so in Christ all shall be made alive. Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." I Cor 15:57