03: Resurrected Bodies

03

Resurrected Bodies

Blake Widmer | Kingston, Jamaica

Have you ever thought about this? What does it mean? What does resurrection look like?

There are many ways to think about this subject. I am a hearing person who has lived the majority of my adult life in a deaf Jamaican community. I am also married to a deaf person, my wife, Tashi. So, when I think about resurrection, I have to say that the first question that comes to my mind is, “What about language and our five senses?”

However, I must admit that the subject of resurrection is one that rarely crosses my mind. Let me give you an example of how this has played itself out in my life.

It took a lot of mistakes and time to truly think and feel from another culture’s perspective.

When I was first married, I had been in the deaf community for a few years, but I was still very much on a learning curve. It took a lot of mistakes and time to truly think and feel from another culture’s perspective. For me, I knew I must progress and learn by asking new questions. My family in the US was also on this curve, but because we only saw them a couple of times a year, their opportunities for learning were limited. Naturally, I expected myself to be ahead of my family members, so I was surprised one day when my brother, Brad, leaped out ahead of me. How did he do this? Well, he asked himself a question that I had not asked myself.

It was a question about resurrection.

I remember picking my jaw up off the floor. Wait. What did he just say?

My brother said something along the lines of, “One thing I look forward to in eternal life is to be able to talk to Tashi without language barriers. Not necessarily because she will be able to use my natural spoken language, but perhaps I will just be fluent in sign language.” I remember picking my jaw up off the floor. Wait. What did he just say?

All things being made perfect in resurrection wasn't about someone becoming more like me but about the removal of barriers that prohibit knowing others and being known. Yes! It all clicked in my mind and heart. How beautiful that idea is. I wondered to myself, "Why hadn't I thought of this before?"

All things being made perfect in resurrection wasn't about someone becoming more like me but about the removal of barriers that prohibit knowing others and being known.

As I’ve returned to that memory from time to time, I think the answer is quite simple. We do not think about resurrection enough. It is somewhat strange and unnatural. We live in bodies that are “tents that are yet corruptible”; it requires intentional effort to think beyond this to bodies that are what the Apostle Paul called “incorruptible or imperishable.” Yet, this idea is so far beyond us that we often don’t know where to start, so we simply stop thinking about it.

As I’ve learned more about the biblical portrayal of resurrection and meditated on the new body Jesus had, it has become clear that this implies the removal of all barriers--not only physical but relational and cultural. A locked door no longer hindered Jesus’ presence; a group of disciples that had gone into hiding was not prevented from communicating with their Lord.

Since we cannot fully comprehend what bodily resurrection is like, it is easy to avoid thinking about the possibilities it may bring. We do not want to be wrong, so why bother thinking about it at all?

While I may be wrong in the details, the general idea is something inspiring to consider; maybe our resurrected, eternal bodies are not so much about fixing what we don’t like about ourselves or others, but simply removing whatever hinders deep communion and abundant life.

No more barriers. No lack of true connection with others. What a glorious day that will be!