Daily Devotion

“Death is the end of the journey to freedom, but also the true beginning of life. We should not only look at the withered petals, but also at the new buds about to break through the soil; God often accepts a person when they think they have nothing left.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer · Letters from Prison

Scripture

1 Corinthians 15:42-43 So it is with the resurrection of the dead: what is sown is perishable, but what is raised is imperishable; what is sown is shameful, but what is raised is glorious; what is sown is weak, but what is raised is strong.

Reflection

Death is not the demise of life, but a sacred "planting." Paul uses the metaphor of a seed to reveal the turning point: the physical decay and pain are the seeds of "mortal decay" being sown; while the light shining in the old man's eyes is a harbinger of the "immortal" life about to sprout. As Bonhoeffer said, God always fully accepts people when they have nothing. When old age strips away the superficial beauty of the earth, what remains is the purest soul, prepared to be restored from weakness to great glory and strength in the Father's kingdom.