”˜One morning you will see in the newspapers “Moody is dead”. Don’t believe it! I shall never be so alive as I will be that morning.’
–D.L .Moody (1837-99)
”˜One morning you will see in the newspapers “Moody is dead”. Don’t believe it! I shall never be so alive as I will be that morning.’
–D.L .Moody (1837-99)
See I’m not a fan of that sentiment, and here’s why. Death is a bad thing. Full stop. Our response as Christians (my goodness today of all days) is not to say “well.. you know.. when you die, your soul goes off to Heaven.” NO… today we proclaim Death doesn’t get compromised with. Death doesn’t get our bodies while God get’s our souls — NO! Today God in Christ says DEATH YOU LOSE! Full stop!
What does Paul tell the Thessolonian Christians who are seeing believers die? Does he say, “Oh don’t sweat it, you get to go to Heaven when you die.” NO! He says we are being prepared for the Great Day of Resurrection! That’s our Hope! And all creation groans for it like a woman in labor now in this period between Christ’s Resurrection and his return (parousia).
We never say anything like what Moody says here in creedal Christianity. What do we say every Sunday in the creed? I believe in the Resurrection of the Body! No compromise! Alleluia!
# I believe you are reading too much into one Moody quote. Death is indeed a bad thing, which is why it is described as an enemy. Moody wouldn’t deny that.
The point is death seems like the end if all you are talking about is physical life, is life here. That isn’t the whole story, and indeed if it tries to masquerade as the whole story it is a false story since Moody is “with Christ.”
Thanks Dr. Harmon, for your caution. Maybe I am reading too much into it. But maybe Moody was misleading…
My concern, Dr. Harmon, is the rather other-worldly (not spiritual) and indeed un-Biblical understanding of our great Hope that many Christians slide into. I have a friend who actually looks forward to his death because, as he has misread one of Paul’s rhetorical flourishes, he wishes to go ahead and be with Christ. Instead of crying out “Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!”, he looks forward to death. It sort of begs the question – what’s the point of living then? It misses the very physical nature of the Christian faith and the Biblical witness. It allows us to ignore our role in the remaking of this world that will be brought to perfection nevertheless in God’s time (see Wright’s post in the London Times). I really think that when we say these platitudes about how good it is to die (strange to say, particularly so when it’s run up against the scriptures) we derail believers. They miss the focus on spiritual growth that God works on us here and now (an element central to Pauline ethics) and they focus in a sort of quietistic way on a Platonic heaven.
Regarding Moody’s quote – why not follow Paul’s advice in Thessolonians: On the day I die, don’t worry, I’m coming back!
Perhaps I’ve read too much Richard Hays and N.T. Wright… although I can’t imagine that’s a bad thing.
My ultimate point is that we should be careful with our language. I would really hate for the seeker or even the young Christian to come away from Easter worship today and think that Christianity is basically about escaping this world at death (e.g. Moody’s “I shall never be so alive…”), instead of the great Hope of the defeat of Death and the promise of a bodily Resurrection and a remade creation.
But maybe I’m reading too much into Moody… maybe…
Happy Easter – Christ is Risen!
Didn’t Paul say “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” and “I don’t know which is better: to remain here with you in the flesh or go to be with the Lord”?
Moody didn’t say he longed for death but rather recognized that life to the full will come when we are at last fully transformed and freed from all sin at bodily death and awaiting the resurrection of our immortal, glorified, physical bodies. And libraryjim’s most appropos quote goes on to say “But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me,…yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. And convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith.” I am sure from Moody’s other writings that he means very much the same thing as Paul did.