Robert Herhold is a west coast pastor whose brother died some time ago. Listen to his description of the ministry that went on between brothers in the final days before his brothers death:

My brother experienced eternal life before he died. Eternity began in time for him. We laughed and kidded up to his last day in the hospital where he was also the administrator. I thought I was ministering to Wayne, but I discovered that he was ministering to me. We prayed often and in one of our last prayers, he thanked God for our being together

... God seemed to draw him closer and closer to himself, but strangely not further from us. When I would get overly religious, Wayne would puncture it with his humor. He once awoke and asked if he had said anything incriminating in his sleep. I assured him that he had. "How much did I pledge to the church?" he inquired! ... In those last days - not last but beginning days - Wayne moved gracefully from the things on earth to the things above. His humor became sharper as his perspective deepened. He suffered awhile longer, stayed around long enough to let us know, without words, that we need not fear nor sorrow overmuch because he knew the Lord who would not let go.

That, finally, is where Easter leads: to the ringing, joyous, hearty, jubilant laughter and singing and celebrating of that glorious company of heaven who surround the risen Lord and sit at his table.