What’s in a Word? – Death
When I was fourteen
years old, I went with some family friends to slaughter chickens. It was my
first time partaking of any farm practices, and as a girl who grew up
watching Emergency Vets while eating scrambled eggs, the gore
factor didn’t bother me much. But there was a different kind of solemnity to
the experience: the closeness of death.
Death is such a controversial topic in the world,
but I think it’s safe to say that most people become desensitized to it, to
some degree, over the course of their lives. This can come through excessive
exposure—like in a trauma ward or battle situation—or minimalized exposure,
like your average first-world person today. For those who eat meat, the
butchering is largely separate from the consumption. Back at that farm at
fourteen was the first time I looked at an animal before it was killed for my
consumption; the first time my heart connected that there was death on the
other side of that live-giving sustenance.
Honestly, I don’t think God ever intended us to be
quite as separate from death as we are today. The fact is, death is a part of
life now, thanks to the Fall of Adam and Eve; it is a part of man’s reality and
I don’t think God ever wants us to forget those consequences. If we do, how can
we truly learn? If you look back at the course of history, all the way to
Israel, one of the rules for certain sacrifices was to lay hands on the animal
that was killed for atonement. There is an element in that of bringing the
wages of sin (death) near; one comes face to face in that moment with the price
of a life laid down for theirs, their hands on the innocent (the sacrifice)
given for the guilty (the one laying on hands).
During the time of Coronavirus pandemic, I was
greeted with a reality I hadn’t really experienced before: just how
wide-ranging people’s reactions to the threat of death are. And yes, death is a
terrible thing; but by and large, what I’ve seen across the scope of mankind in
relation to the threat of Coronavirus are extremes of fear and dismissal all
stemming from the same root cause: we have lost our perspective on life and
death to such an extreme that we tend toward extremes of avoidance or
invitation.
To be clear, I don’t think death is something we
should hide from or seek out. What comes to mind for me more
than anything is simply the realization that we have become so divorced from
death in our daily lives that we leave ourselves exposed to be taken advantage
of by the evil of this world, pushed to one side or the other to fulfil agendas
in the spirit realm.
We need to have a heavenly perspective on life and
death. We need a godly perspective, so that we hold a balance
rather than causing a problem—for ourselves or others—when it comes to the
subject of death.
What
is Death?
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines death as
“a permanent cessation of all vital functions; the end of
life.”
There is little more that needs to be said about
what death is; most of us have been touched by it at least somewhere in our
lives. Yet it’s something our very spirit seems to know we weren’t created for
and wars valiantly against even in the gravest circumstances. This is why the
story of a man seeking immortality is so universal, why you see it popping up
endlessly in various forms of entertainment and why so many have actually
wasted their lives trying to attain or discover the secret behind it.
Shangri-La, the Fountain of Youth, immortal warriors and thousand-year
loves…these themes all manifest the loathing of death within us.
No matter your belief in what comes after, death is
undeniably the conclusion of something; the end of one’s time to
make an impact on this world and a separation from loved ones until we are all
united in the presence of Jesus.
In short, death is an enemy. And one day, Jesus
will conquer it.
What
Does the Bible Say About Death?
Ecclesiastes 9:5 –
For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they
have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.
1 Corinthians 15:26 –
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 –
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep,
that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
How
Should I Relate to Death?
As terrible as death is, there are two things to
bear in mind: obsessing over it will not add a day to our lives, and dying is
not the end of the born-again believer’s story. When death comes for us, as it
will for all but those who are alive to see Christ’s return, the very next
thing we’ll know is our Lord’s face.
So how should we relate to death? By ultimately
accepting it is not about us. Instead, take the steps necessary to make sure
those who would be most affected by your passing are taken care of, in case the
unthinkable should happen; make sure you have a will or plan in place, not for morbidity’s
sake, but for preparedness.
And then get busy living.
Life is simply much too precious to waste dwelling
on death. Accept that death will come, should the Lord tarry; accept that it’s
not the end, pray for peace and protection, and turn your thoughts to things
that are honourable, righteous, pure, lovely, admirable, full of virtue and
worthy of praise (Phil. 4:8). If thoughts of death or dying plague you, pray
against them in the name of Jesus—you don’t have to live in that mind-set!
Death doesn’t have to be a shadow stalking you night and day.
God wants us to live fruitful, abundant lives, and
being haunted by the thought of death empowers no one. Cast off that shackle by
accepting the gift of life in the age to come by the sacrifice of Jesus, and
let your focus be on doing good in this life and your hope in the day when our Saviour
will at last destroy the enemy, Death, and we will live forever with him!
Take
Action!
If you find yourself dwelling on thoughts of death,
particularly during this time of global health-crisis, avoid any sources that
feed these thoughts and invest your time instead on those that inspire you
regarding the Hope, everlasting life, and the promises of God!
