Awareness Altered, Not Absent

And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. (Mark 5:39, KJV)

Have you ever been dreaming while your clock radio was playing, and you heard the radio in your dream? Then you tried to shut off the radio, even unplugging it, but it just kept playing? (And then you woke up, to recover from the budding nightmare...)

You heard this life in your sleep. So do those in the Body of Christ who have fallen asleep. Bishop Nicholas of Myra in Lycia hears us when we say, "Most holy hierarch Nicholas, pray to God for us." The priest Valentinus hears the prayers, "O Martyr among Priests, Saint Valentine, intercede with Christ God to save our souls."

And if the saints in slumber pray for us, does God hear their prayers?

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16, KJV)

Not all singing is with the mouth, and not all words to the Lord are heard with human ears. Even those who are "dead to the world" have silent hymns, and the Lord hears the words of their hearts.

Posted on Feb 14, 2008 at 5:29:31 AM EST.