Orson Scott Card's book "Speaker for the Dead" is the sequel to his award-winning sci-fi "Enders' Game". Wikipedia says, "Whereas the previous novel was hard science fiction with armies and space warfare, Speaker for the Dead is philosophical in nature, although it still advances a xenology for the planetary setting unique in Science Fiction."Ender Wiggin is the speaker revealing the secrets and hard truths in the life stories of those for whom he is called to speak. As Ender speaks for Marcao, a wife-abusing father and for Libo, a murdered xenologer (what Wikipedia calls "alien anthropology"), he unravels the guilt, deception and love behind the adultery of Macao's wife with Libo and the sacrificial death of Libo at the hands of the "piggies" (a native species on a colony in space). This speaking is very different from the eulogies (praises) that we hear at funerals.
Wikipedia gives this explanation on the meaning of the term "Speaker for the Dead":
"Any citizen has the legal right to summon a Speaker (or a priest of any faith, which Speakers are legally considered) to mark the death of a family member. Speakers research the dead person's life and give a speech that attempts to speak for them, describing the person's life as he or she tried to live it. This speech is not given in order to persuade the audience to condemn or forgive the deceased, but rather a way to understand the person as a whole, including any flaws or misdeeds."
As I read Card's book, I was struck by the happy thought - we do not have a speaker for the dead; better still, we have the speaker for the living, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:5).
Christ is our intercessor (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25).
Christ is our advocate (1 John 2:1).
How does Jesus speak or intercede for us?
First, through Jesus' death on the cross, He took our sins upon Himself and made us righteous before our Father God (Romans 3:21-26).
Second, after Jesus was raised from the dead, He sits at the right hand of God and becomes our advocate and mediator before our Father God (1 John 2:1, Hebrews 9:24). He pleads our case, that He has already paid for our sins, and secures our continued pardon.
Third, when we face temptation, Jesus provides a way out so that we can stand up under it (1 Cor 10:13, Hebrews 2:18)
"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
