One Name

This past weekend I experienced something I never hope to experience again - a funeral and a wedding, for people the same age, on the same day, in the same town. My friend Andrew had a heart attack on January 24. He went to school in Harrisonburg, PA which is where he was laid to rest this past Saturday. It just so happened that I was attending a wedding just outside of Harrisonburg this past Saturday (more on that later), as well. It was an emotional day, for sure. Celebrating endings and new beginnings. I think I'm still processing the experience. But the one thing that continues to stand out in my mind is the way both ceremonies glorified Christ. Throughout the funeral the message was made very clear: Andrew was the man we all loved because he loved and was first loved by Jesus Christ. The same message was presented just as clearly at the wedding: celebrating a new beginning for two friends who love and are first loved by Jesus Christ. The name "Jesus Christ" was spoken more times that day than I hear in a Sunday morning church service. It's because of Jesus Christ that there is hope in celebrating a life well lived and the union of two friends. God was glorified, unabashedly. His love is undeniable.