May 24 1999

ARTICLE TOOLS

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So why have I been thinking about resurrection? As children so often do, our five-year-old son has provoked these big thoughts. Conor, who was born with several congenital and physical deformities, has been asking a lot of questions about his new body in the resurrection. He wonders about Jesus' fleshly body after he rose on that first Paschal day and how he (Conor) will "look" once he joins Christ from the grave. These are serious questions for a young man who has lived his short life without thumbs, an unresponsive right arm, and a diaphragm that doesn't work properly.

Thankfully, Prof. Loren Wilkinson reminds us afresh of Paul's words: "If Christ has not been raised … " and of the incarnational reality of the Easter celebration ["How Green Is Easter?" April 5]. The hope of the physical resurrection is very real for Conor. And, because of Conor's presence in my life, I'm reminded of this hope daily.

George W. Sweetman
Markham, Ont., Canada

I enjoyed reading the thoughtful article "How Green Is Easter?" Having been a hospice nurse and volunteer for 20 years, my families have enriched my life and taught me so much about how to live life and share their values.

Jean Eckelmann
Desert Hot Springs, Calif.

Fasting's Comeback—and Pitfalls
Christine J. Gardner's special report on fasting, "Hungry for God" [April 5], is an interesting overview of how this spiritual discipline has made a comeback among evangelicals. Fasting is a biblically sanctioned means by which God's grace can work in our souls and, as the article points out, may be connected with spiritual revivals in society.

I was disturbed, however, to find no mention of the mortal danger of fasting when it becomes a compulsive form of behavior. That evangelical ...