The words from the song we sang at summer camp reverberate in my head.
“When I remember that he died for me, I’ll never go back any more, Hallelujah!”
As a staff member singing along with the kids, my favorite part involved the hand motions—all 300 campers and 80 staff members would throw their arms above their heads and wave their hands each time we sang the word “Hallelujah!”—a shocking occurrence for bunch of conservative Christians back in the 80s when praise music and guitars had yet to infiltrate the sanctuaries of the local churches.
But there’s something about the catchy tune that stuck. Jesus. Died for ME. The older I get, the more I realize that I’m a sinner in need of grace. My raised hands answer the question of, “Who needs Jesus?” with a resounding, hand-waving, “I DO!”
“When I remember that he rose again, I’ll never go back any more, Hallelujah!”
The gospel story. So simple, yet so true. Because Jesus died for me and rose again, he broke sin’s grip on humanity. He broke sin’s grip on MY life. I want to pull up a chair and spend time with God—to explore the why, the how, the great love that orchestrated the solution to sin.
“When I remember that he’s coming soon, I’ll never go back any more, Hallelujah!”
That stanza brings me to tears when my heavy heart aches for friends whose loss leaves a gaping hole in their lives. The loss won’t be permanent. Jesus is coming soon. (tweet this)
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?” 1 Cor. 15:55
Hallelujah!
