I met a guy today who was in Tokyo when the earthquake hit Japan. Though he was not at the epicenter, we have all seen the footage of Tokyo shaking under the magnitude of the 9.1 catastrophe that hit Northern Japan.
My new friend lives on the 51st floor of a high-rise in Tokyo. He was with his wife and children when the building began to sway. He said that minor tremors are a common occurrence in Tokyo, so they gave it very little attention. Then the building continued to rock back and forth more dramatically. It rocked so hard that dishes were coming out of cabinets. Furniture was moving around the rooms. He said that they began to feel terror as they started to believe that, even though the skyscraper had been built for tremors, they were about to collapse. The building seemed to rock for an eternity. The children were screaming as all power went out.
Then the rocking stopped. As they were huddled in the darkness, my friend realized that being 51 floors in the sky would be a long walk down. So they stayed there for two days before leaving for the States.
During that time, they looked at what was important about their lives. There is nothing like believing that you are going to die to put things in perspective. Their faith in Jesus Christ gave them incredible strength during their ordeal. In a way, as they came close to death they felt closer to Jesus.
They were right. The Bible says:
“Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Revelations 1:17-18
When we are faced with extreme situations, what do those conditions surface in our souls? If we are honest, it is probably a mixed bag. But God meets us in the midst of tragedy. Jesus suffered for us on the cross and as a result, His resurrection is the signpost that He has opened the door from death to life. Those who recognize this can face death with courage (which is not the absence of fear), for Jesus Christ ultimately holds the keys that control death.
This may be controversial in the light of the pain that we see on the news, but we must have the courage to face pain with the hope that God offers us in Jesus Christ. To know Jesus is to know the One who has conquered death and takes away its ultimate sting.
I was greatly inspired by my new friend’s story. We will all face death on this earth, but we have the opportunity to grow closer to Jesus as we grow closer to our final hour.
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