This week, for our weekly discussion (yes, that's right, "discussion" please feel free to post comments and make this an interactive thing) I would like to talk about death. I can think of no other topic that has kept me up more often in my short life, and therefore can think of no more appropriate topic for us to discuss in this space.
For many of us, death is something we try to avoid thinking about as much as possible. When we do find ourselves thinking about the subject, it's often at night, when we are in bed, when everything seems so bleak and hopeless. I can think of several such times for myself where I've actually cried myself to sleep thinking about death in general and my own death specifically. If this sounds familiar, then today's topic is for you, if not then save yourself a few minutes, stop reading and do something really important.
It seems to me that the problem many of us find when thinking about death, is that we know so little about death. As humans, we fear the unknown. It turns out, no living person knows much about death, and when you die, you can't really come back and tell folks about it! The Bible also offers little help on the subject. Sure the Bible mentions death a good deal, but it really doesn't tell us a whole lot about death, other than that it's good to be considered one of God's own when you die. Such a lack of knowledge has many of us straining to learn anything we can about death and the unkown. Such efforts lead many to reading books written by those who've died and come back, or even visiting/listening to fortune tellers, astrologers, mystics and others who claim to be able to communicate with the dead.
I recently read an e-mail, sent to me by Sue Marchetti (from McDonough), that got me thinking more about this. The point of the e-mail was that we should focus less on what we don't know, and more on what we DO know about death. It seems when thinking in this way that the Bible has much to say, most importantly things like the following passage from John14:1-7. Basically this passage, and others like it, proclaims that Jesus, our Lord and Savior, will be there when we die and in fact has already prepared a place for us. Such a reality begs the question what else really matters!?!?
I realize for many of us, we will still find ourselves dwelling on the uncertainty of death, and the fear that all of this might just be wishful thinking. Having said this, we can only control what we can control, and we can only know what we can know, the rest we have to leave up to God...that's what faith is for.
Especially now, with a baby on the way, I think of how people will fair here when I am gone. I also wonder how I would do without my parents or husband. Although there are some things we need to think about death for (ie being good stewards of all God entrusts to us… where do my kids, cat, home, ect go when I die), for the most part I think the bible focuses on life because that is where we are.
ReplyDeleteIn death, assuming we make that all important choice to give our lives to our LORD and savior, we will be with him face to face (or perfect body to perfect body… whatever that will look like (-; ). Now, in life we need more help hearing from God. The enemy would love it if we focused on what we don’t/ can’t know right now, but I think your friend was right to remind us of what we do know.
I’m not saying I don’t still think about death late at night (especially since Pete and I haven’t finished all the good steward stuff), but we do have a hope and a future to focus on. I guess to sum it up I’m just saying “hear hear.”
*fare not fair oh well...
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