MONDAY, APRIL 3RD, 2023 - DEATH 1

 MONDAY, APRIL 3RD, 2023 - DEATH

For Christians, this is Holy Week.  For Jews, this is Passover Week.  For Muslims, this is part of Ramadan. As a person with a Judeo-Christian perspective, I’m going to be spiritual this week - but a little out there - writing about death and dying.  Death is not fun (not that I’ve experienced it personally)

Three days ago I was with Lillian (not her real name).  Lillian is in hospice care and is dying.  I don’t know much about Lillian.  She was quite active in her church, loved cats, never married, and is getting closer to death every day.

Three days ago, I met her sister and her brother-in-law.  Her brother-in-law seems to be the one who is helping with the Power of Attorney.  They live a long way away but are staying in the Texas area to be around when Lillian finally does die.

I was going to write “when Lillian passes on”.  We don’t like to say “die” so we use euphemisms like “passes on”.  Sometimes we say “they slipped away, they are at rest, they were called home to God”.  

Guess what - we are all going to die.  (As a Judeo-Christian I might add - “Unless Jesus comes first and calls us home”).  

Death / Dying / Life as we know it is over

We have stories about death - about “NDE” - Near Death Experiences - where people sense they have died but somehow come back to life.  I had a friend who talked of floating near the ceiling of her hospital room looking down at her body lying on the bed and the medical staff trying to revive her.  But, somehow, the voice said “I’m not ready for you yet” and she returned to her body on the bed.

BUT, she died two years later.

Death / Dying / Life as we know it is over.

*****

So, what happens after death?  

On a physical plane, our flesh and organs rot and all that is left is a skeleton. 

How about a mental plane?  That is unknown.  Some think it is all over - dead - nothing.  Something there is some kind of ‘life after death”.  Some think we can come back possibly in a different form (reincarnation), others think of heaven and hell (or utopia/nirvana).  

In the Judeo-Christian view (as I understand it), we were given free will - and so with that free will we can believe X or we can believe Y.

In the Judeo-Christian view, God is infinite - he always was and always will be.  “As it was, in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen”.

So, if we die but then live in some kind of perfect environment for an infinite number of years how will that be?  I don’t know!!!  Will every day be better than the day before?  I don’t know!!!

John 14:1-3  “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You place your trust in God. Trust also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, you may also be. 

This seems to imply that Jesus is suggesting that he is going to prepare a place for us.  

Is this ‘heaven’ a real place?  (With the concept that there are over 8 trillion galaxies.  That is almost an infinity of locations!!!)  

In Luke 23, we have this (with Jesus on the cross to the thief): Jesus said to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.

******

Bach wrote a chorale - “Come Sweet Death”

Komm, süßer Tod, komm selge Ruh!

Komm führe mich in Friede,

weil ich der Welt bin müde,

ach komm! ich wart auf dich,

komm bald und führe mich,

drück mir die Augen zu.

Komm, selge Ruh!

Come, sweet death, come, blessed rest!

Come lead me to peace

because I am weary of the world,

O come! I wait for you,

come soon and lead me,

close my eyes.

Come, blessed rest!

*****

Yes, when death is coming - make it a sweet blessed death - a death of peace.

My friend, Lillian, is dying.  I don’t know her situation - is it cancer?  Is her kidney failure?  When I was with her the other day, she ate a bite of pudding and a bite of ice cream.  We (SK and I) bathed her and changed her clothes, but she didn’t get out of bed.  (In my three months of few visits I have never seen her out of bed).  Early on we carried on conversations, but that hasn’t happened for the last few times.  One time I was worried that she might die while I was with her.  What would I do?  Call the hospice staff in to verify death and handle the particulars.

I’m not sure what her plans are - burial, cremation? In a church or in a funeral home?  Will she even have a service?  Will a clergyperson come and pray over her body?  She (as a Catholic) had last rites and anointing last week (and maybe even earlier).  

Come, sweet death, come blessed rest and peace to Lillian and to all of us.

More on death and dying tomorrow.  (And, with some thoughts of my first-century philosopher’s death on a cross 2000 years ago).

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

(CAN LOVE WIN OVER DEATH?  CAN LOVE TRANSFORM US IN DEATH?)

KAREN ANNE WHITE, ©, APRIL 3, 2023

(Today is the 45th anniversary of my daughter’s birth.  I love her and look forward to many great additional years with her.  We have been estranged for five years and I dearly miss and love her as close to unconditionally as humans can).