Death and life perspectives are not often tackled in the spiritual sense; death is simply not a very attractive thing to talk about... especially when life is so full of the living...
One of the more unfortunate parts of my job, certainly in this technological age we live in, is I get many gory photographs and videos sent to me via email from interested people showing people either seriously injured, or worse, caught in the moment of their deaths.
One such recent example sent shivers of grief through me. A man standing atop an electric train, unaware of the powerful electrical hazard above, grabs hold of the electrical power lines. I’m not at liberty to describe the rest of this short video as I’m sure your imagination could fill that void, though I quickly suggested to the source that they might limit its further distribution. The title of the email was aptly, “Not so lucky.”
There’s something very eerie about witnessing death. I can only imagine what people who’ve fought in wars might have felt when experiencing such unpleasant reminders of our mortality and seeing their fallen comrades at their last gasp.
Inevitably, and ironically, the consideration of death points us back to the meaning of our lives. Whenever we hear of or are touched by death, we consider our lives and how precious they are.
We’re so apt at not thinking about our death, but regular reminders of its ever-present possibility, without being morbid about it, can give us a unique and valuable perspective on life.
I came across this insightful quote:
“We live in a world conditioned by death. So we must be ever ready to die. Are we ready...?”[1]If we died right now, who would we leave behind and what position would they be in? In other words, are we ready to die? In some ways this might sound ridiculous but it’s an unavoidable fact--tomorrow is one day closer to that event.
What do we live for? If there is an afterlife (and I certainly believe there is) what will we be left considering when it’s all too late, when we’re ‘on the other side?’ When all is said and done, what will our lives say about us, and what legacy would we have left?
And importantly, for the others we leave behind, the ones facing the music of life without us, what will it be like for them?
We see here, with these important considerations made prior to our deaths, we can adequately prepare, and in so doing, begin living life from the post-death or eternal perspective. It’s perhaps only when we live life according to an afterlife perspective that we will truly live with significance... now.
Copyright © 2009, S. J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
[1] W. Phillip Keller, David – The Shepherd King (Milton Keynes, England: Word Publishing, 1986), p. 247.
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