Death. Not many people acknowledge its presence. We spend our days ignoring death, trying to put off death, avoiding death. Yet it is all around us.
…outwardly we are wasting away…
Every day obituaries run in the paper. Most days we receive news of our brothers and sisters in arms who have been killed in service. More often than we would like we hear of family members who have passed away. In our media we see death every day, sometimes dozens of deaths in a movie. Gory, slow, and sadistic deaths get R ratings and sell lots of tickets. Video games where you receive points for killing people disturb me.
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…
We live so close to death that we either hide it just out of sight so that we do not have to think about it, or make it so common that it loses any importance.
I’ve been thinking that every death has a ripple of consequences that we never consider. For every death there are the grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, friends, cousins, co workers, neighborhoods, churches, acquaintances that are all touched.
…for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.
When we hear of a car bomb killing 60 people, we can multiply the pain in the lives of so many who were attached to each life. 60 parents, 60 brothers and sisters, 60 friends … and that’s just the beginning.
I know we can’t dwell on this all the time. But when we hear of deaths, let us remember that one person died – but many people hurt. The ripple effects are much greater than we usually acknowledge.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
I think of Jesus’ tears at Lazarus tomb and see an example for us: when others are hurt by this enemy, it’s not the time for sermonizing or philosophizing. It’s time to stand next to them and grieve with them.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
Great reminder, John. Thanks for that.
JD, True.
Shalom, St.
Very good post, JD. I’ve noticed alot more when I’m watching an action movie or something like that where some extra or minor character dies and the movie just keeps going on like nothing happened, I’ll think about what the impact on that person’s family and friends would be in real life. We should be more disturbed by some of the things we watch, but we’ve become too desensitized in alot of cases.
Thanks John for an excellent post and insights into the subject of death. When I was young I feared dying and was afraid of losing loved ones to death. Now that I am old, I just fear losing my loved ones to death. Even when I know that some of them are saved, my fear is being separated from their love and companionship.
When I first arrived in Iraq, I was afraid of getting killed. It was a peculiar feeling. I didn’t want to die. Normal people overthere would walk around “paranoid” that the next explosion, the next bullet would be meant for them. I did too, initially. But then I rationalized things this way: I was dead already. When I did that, the fear went away. Without sermonizing: When I placed my hands in the Hands of the Man who stilled the waters. He stilled my soul. Paul said when we die with Christ, our life is no longer ours but Christ’s. We are hidden in Him so that the life we live is His life in us. I still selfishly fear the death of my loved ones, but know that as long as I am in this body I will always do that.
I think the hardest part of death for families is that sudden realization that even though my loved one is gone, life continues. And for the most part, it doesn’t even slow down. We grieve, but we do so in the context of trying to keep up with “life” that doesn’t seem to have noticed our loss.
I remember when traffic would stop for a funeral procession. Stores would close in small towns so people could attend a funeral. Police officers would stand with their hat or cap over their heart. Drivers would actually be respectful and pull over or at least stay out of the way.
No longer. “Life” doesn’t even skip a beat at the death of our loved ones. But we definitely feel the sting and we ride the ripples.
Good thoughts, John.
Thanks John… The specter of death is always there and has arisen in our lives as you know…
Nothing gives perspective to this dark reality like walking in the shadows, seeing the empty chair at the breakfast table, and never getting the phone call you desperately want.
It is unhealty and sad that death is avoided so much when it is the most sure thing in our physical universe. We must all face it ourselves and hurt when those we love fall to it.
It is a very good thing to weep with the weeping and mourn with the mourners, we will need the experience someday.
Royce
I have come to believe that death is the enemy of those left behind….the one who dies is passing on to a better place