On one occasion Sir Oliver Lodge, the great scientist, was speaking on the immensity and magnificence of the universe. In the course of his address he paused, and with a deepened intensity in his voice, said: “Have no fear, there is no rightful demand you can make upon this universe that it will not fulfill.”

The Christian faith affirms that we live in a universe that is a house of many mansions. What we see of it is but a small part of what there is to see. Beyond the frontiers of sight and sense lies a spiritual realm infinite in its reaches and inexhaustible in its riches. Much of what is there must seem puzzling from this side, and many of our eager questions must go unanswered. But, recurring to Sir Oliver Lodge’s statement about the physical universe, there is no rightful expectation we can have towards the spiritual universe that it will not fulfill.

At the end of life’s journey we come to what appears to our mortal sense to be a terminus. We call it death. The Christian faith says that death is not a terminus, that it is but passing through a dark entry, out of one little dusky room of the Father’s house into another that is fair and large, lightsome and glorious—one that will fulfill our highest expectations. Think of going to sleep and waking up in such a room. That, says the Christian faith, is death.

We sometimes congratulate ourselves at the moment of waking from a troubled dream. It may be so the moment after death.

Just think
Of Stepping on shore
And finding it Heaven;
Of taking hold of a hand
And finding it God’s hand;
Of breathing a new air
And finding it Celestial air;
Of feeling invigorated
And finding it immortality;
Of passing from storm and
Tempest to an unbroken calm;
Of waking up—and
Finding it Home!
(Author unknown)