As a local church pastor, I once received a call from a senior living facility that one of their residents, Mary, who was a member of my congregation, had been taken by ambulance to the hospital. Mary had passed out during the evening meal in the common dining area. The person who called said she was concerned because Mary had not regained consciousness even after treatment on scene and being loaded into the ambulance. She was upset because she believed Mary might have died. I assured her I would go to the hospital and check on Mary.

As often happens in close communities, the shared account of Mary’s concerning health event quickly spread, but in doing so morphed from she may have died to she had indeed died. I even received an additional call on the way to the hospital asking if this was true, which at that moment I could not confirm or deny.

When I arrived, I located Mary in a treatment room in the ER. Thankfully, she was alive, alert, and doing well! She seemed surprised to see me. I let her know about the calls I had received, and in a light-hearted way also shared the premature reports of her demise. She laughed hysterically, and with a twinkle in her eye asked, “Let’s go ahead and plan my funeral. I’d love to show up and surprise everyone!”

Acts 9:36-43 is the account of the passing of Tabitha (aka Dorcus, which means “gazelle”), who is described as “devoted to good works and acts of charity”. Simon Peter arrives on the scene, which is filled with mourners who are openly weeping and lamenting the loss of a saintly figure in their community. Peter prayed over her, then turned to her body and said, “Tabitha, get up.”  She opened her eyes and sat up. Peter took her by the hand and guided her to where the crowd could see that she was alive. They rejoiced and expressed their gratitude for God’s goodness.

We don’t know what caused Mary to faint during dinner. We don’t know what caused Tabitha to die. But we do know that every day we may encounter someone who feels like they are dead or dying inside. Depression, hopelessness, stress, addiction, or grief can sap the joy of living. Those who struggle daily with self-confidence or are treated by society as “less than” in some heartless or unjust capacity, may wonder if anyone cares about or sees them.

Simon Peter called upon the Holy Spirit to raise Tabitha from the dead. We may not be able to bring someone back to life in such a manner, but we are capable of resurrection. Resurrection isn’t just the matter of getting someone’s heart beating again…it can be letting someone know their heart matters! Tabitha was mourned because she had been offering resurrection of this type for many in her community. Her initial loss wasn’t just known…it was felt.

We expect resurrection stories on Easter, but what about on a random weekday in Joppa, Nashville, Memphis, Columbia, Dyersburg, Pulaski, Ripley, Cookeville, Spring Hill, Brownsville, Murfreesboro, or Martin? Let us be ready and willing to be the gazelle our neighbor needs.

Rev. Dr. David Weatherly
President/CEO