-Jesus: Alpha, Omega, Cosmic Umbilical Chord-

Being in the room for the birth of your children is a strange experience. At least it was for me. Watching my wife give birth is probably the most difficult thing I've ever been through. I know that sounds strange considering how difficult it was on Krissy but that's a subject for another post so for now we'll just leave it at that. But shortly after both Felicia and Ian were brought into the world the doctor handed me pair of scissors and directed me to cut the umbilical chord. So I did. (By the way, the umbilical chord has more girth to it than you'd think, it's not just a quick snip.)

There is power in the umbilical chord. So much power that I think only a mother can really fully grasp it. It links a child to it's mother for much longer than just the 9-and-a-half months of pregnancy. It connects them at a level that goes beyond the physical into the spiritual. When a child is hurt badly, their father tries to end their pain with everything in him, while their mother feels their pain with everything in her. That is the power of the umbilical chord. It's really quite beautiful and extraordinary.

 

Because of the deep and powerful link that the umbilical chord symbolizes, I've always found it quite the dubious honor to be the one responsible for severing the connection between my children and their mother. It's poetic really. From the day they were born I was pushing my children toward independence. Preparing them for life in this world that is much colder than the warm embrace of the womb they were accustomed to. A world that is noisy and where they can't hear mommy's heartbeat anymore.

 

I think this is one of the ways God shows us what happened all those years ago when Adam severed his connection with God. Humanity having to leave the Garden is like a baby leaving the womb. It must have been a shock to Adam's system. The world was colder, bigger, and noisier than he had ever known. There were dangers all around him that he never knew existed. And he couldn't hear God's heartbeat anymore. Because when you leave the womb, the umbilical cord must be cut.

 

But this isn't how we were created to live. The cosmic umbilical chord that connects our souls to God was never supposed to be cut. Our soul wasn't originally designed to leave the womb and God never had any intention of allowing the separation to persist. So, He provided a new cosmic umbilical chord. A new way to bring our souls back into the womb. Jesus came to not only be that connection, but to make it stronger than ever.

 

Interestingly enough, the powers that be during Jesus' time tried to sever that connection as well. You see, if our souls were connected to God once more, we wouldn't need them and the life they provided. God would be the one who provided us with our sustenance. So they killed Him. They pounded holes in Him and tried to break the connection to God that He represented. But it didn't work. Three days later Jesus was alive again. Demonstrating that this connection could not be broken. And He lives today, still demonstrating the unbreakable connection to God He represents.

 

That is what this Sunday is about. Easter is a reminder that God has provided our souls with a new umbilical chord link to Him. A reminder that no matter how many holes we pound into Him, the connection Jesus provides will never be broken. A reminder that our souls were not created to live in a cold and noisy world. A reminder that, through Jesus, we can once again hear the heartbeat of God. And that is the most comforting sound in the universe. Can you hear it?