Very Few People Die Anymore
I have been aware of this obvious fact that has been inserted into our society – but have not said much about it. It has been starring me in the face so often and yet I have said nothing. Now MacLean’s magazine – September 3, 2007 – has pointed out the obvious…few people die anymore…
Most people just disappear. At least that is what their obituary declares. The article in MacLean’s states “At the most, people simply disappear "suddenly" or "peacefully" or "courageously" or "quietly" or "unexpectedly." Of the 24 departed ones who "slipped" or "passed" away on a recent Tuesday in July in the columns of the Globe and Mail, apparently only four actually "died."”
I picked up a Globe and Mail newspaper yesterday, August 30, 2007, and sure enough… there was the evidence – 2 out of 23 experienced ‘death’ – 21 people just didn’t die. The odds were better in the August 30th paper – less people died. Most were very peaceful… but the family knew they died.
The other notable and evident thing is that Obituaries are placed under advertisements in the newspaper. They are not an event – yet in the family’s life it is a big event. Their entire world will never be the same – the sorrow that replaces the laughter is too difficult to talk about. So we don’t – and the funeral homes help us to write something to let everyone know what we are going through. Many times now the family themselves have written the classic that is placed on the Obituaries page of the newspaper – which we pay dearly for….
As a Christian Pastor I lead/conduct funerals often. In the last one month’s period of time I officiated at 5 funerals. In this role I am encouraging the family that this is not the end – we will see the loved one that passed suddenly from this life to the next. My emphasis is a theological one – it is what I know and preach based on the Bible. As Christians we pass from this life into Paradise – the first place we actually meet Jesus. Then there is a resting period of time, until the last Trumpet call(The Rapture), we remain there. At the last Trumpet call, we come from Paradise to meet with Jesus and all the people that are still alive at that time.
Wikipedia classifies this teaching of the ‘Rapture’ under “Conservative Christian eschatology”. It is what I believe and ‘know’ after these years of study and observing.
But for sure – it has not taken away from the very great reality – the person has died. They are dead.
Now to try to understand how it has all changed so much you must realize that the “non Conservative Christian eschatology” has adopted some of what we preach – the first part. They talk of Paradise and Heaven, a better place, a peaceful state, away from this life, and so on. They just can’t really accept another part – the bad part. That bad part is the death and the fact that they are not too sure of where the loved actually is now. When they have adamantly believed in nothing – nothing is pretty much where the person may go to. But it is easier to wrap some nice words around the horrible sadness – because it just plain hurts too much.
Out of all the funerals that I have officiated at 99.9% of the people have gone to Heaven or are on their way – through the Paradise stage. No one, and I mean no one, will stand up and say – this guy went to Hell. He was a jerk and lived like hell and now is in Hell. No one wants to say that part. In fact everyone talks about Heaven – and only Heaven.
But before I digress too far in that rant – I come back to the fact that we deal with death and dieing in ways to protect ourselves and our deep emotions. On the way, we have developed this method of not using certain words that drive home the pain deeply.
As I stand beside the bed of the dieing person, they often look up and say, “Murray, I know I am dieing…but my kids won’t let me say that.” One of the deeply moving experiences that I have had involved a senior man that said to me from the chair beside his bed in palliative care, “Murray, I will be dead soon, I can feel it happening now… I wish that my family could understand…I’m okay with it… soon I will be in Paradise with Jesus. My wife can’t accept that fact that I am dieing.”
No one wants to accept that they are experiencing death – either personally or with some one close to them. We avoid it like a plague. But it is coming. We do everything possible to prepare for it but will not talk about it. We buy life insurance but never want to talk about death. Our home mortgages are insured just in case “something happens to us” – just in case we die! We pick out and pay for grave plots but never want to talk about using them.
I am making a bold statement here… I AM DIEING… I have been dieing for a number of years. I will be dead soon… I am just not sure how soon or how it will happen. The sudden stop at the end of this life… the moment that my heart quits its last beat… has not been determined yet. But it is coming… and I WILL BE DEAD.
There that feels much better to have admitted a reality.
Now – do I want to die? No – no not yet. There are about 1000 reasons in my garage of unfinished projects and “hope to be done someday” kind of ideas that I have on the go right now. But that hasn’t changed the realities. I will go to my grave some day soon… a lot sooner than it was when I was 23. I am now 63.
To prepare my way and make the ideas come closer to home… I have made my own head stone for my imaginary grave(at this point imaginary). It is made of wood and is lettered completely – except for the one final line – The month, the day and the final year. You can see the photo to show you what I mean.
Want to have some “fun” today? Try writing your own Obituary. Try to be honest. Then see if the newspaper would publish it – if it was honest. “Murray, are you nuts?” That is not “fun”!
Whoa! Stop – just a moment – haven't you seen the word “fun” – in “funeral”?
Hey – let the record show – I am going to die. Now deal with it. That feels so much better.
~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~
Source and Resource
MacLean’s article “The way we mourn” http://www.macleans.ca/culture/lifestyle/article.jsp?content=20070903_109067_109067
Rapture explanation - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapture
1 Corinthians 15 - New International Version - verse 50 - 57
I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Most people just disappear. At least that is what their obituary declares. The article in MacLean’s states “At the most, people simply disappear "suddenly" or "peacefully" or "courageously" or "quietly" or "unexpectedly." Of the 24 departed ones who "slipped" or "passed" away on a recent Tuesday in July in the columns of the Globe and Mail, apparently only four actually "died."”
I picked up a Globe and Mail newspaper yesterday, August 30, 2007, and sure enough… there was the evidence – 2 out of 23 experienced ‘death’ – 21 people just didn’t die. The odds were better in the August 30th paper – less people died. Most were very peaceful… but the family knew they died.
The other notable and evident thing is that Obituaries are placed under advertisements in the newspaper. They are not an event – yet in the family’s life it is a big event. Their entire world will never be the same – the sorrow that replaces the laughter is too difficult to talk about. So we don’t – and the funeral homes help us to write something to let everyone know what we are going through. Many times now the family themselves have written the classic that is placed on the Obituaries page of the newspaper – which we pay dearly for….
As a Christian Pastor I lead/conduct funerals often. In the last one month’s period of time I officiated at 5 funerals. In this role I am encouraging the family that this is not the end – we will see the loved one that passed suddenly from this life to the next. My emphasis is a theological one – it is what I know and preach based on the Bible. As Christians we pass from this life into Paradise – the first place we actually meet Jesus. Then there is a resting period of time, until the last Trumpet call(The Rapture), we remain there. At the last Trumpet call, we come from Paradise to meet with Jesus and all the people that are still alive at that time.
Wikipedia classifies this teaching of the ‘Rapture’ under “Conservative Christian eschatology”. It is what I believe and ‘know’ after these years of study and observing.
But for sure – it has not taken away from the very great reality – the person has died. They are dead.
Now to try to understand how it has all changed so much you must realize that the “non Conservative Christian eschatology” has adopted some of what we preach – the first part. They talk of Paradise and Heaven, a better place, a peaceful state, away from this life, and so on. They just can’t really accept another part – the bad part. That bad part is the death and the fact that they are not too sure of where the loved actually is now. When they have adamantly believed in nothing – nothing is pretty much where the person may go to. But it is easier to wrap some nice words around the horrible sadness – because it just plain hurts too much.
Out of all the funerals that I have officiated at 99.9% of the people have gone to Heaven or are on their way – through the Paradise stage. No one, and I mean no one, will stand up and say – this guy went to Hell. He was a jerk and lived like hell and now is in Hell. No one wants to say that part. In fact everyone talks about Heaven – and only Heaven.
But before I digress too far in that rant – I come back to the fact that we deal with death and dieing in ways to protect ourselves and our deep emotions. On the way, we have developed this method of not using certain words that drive home the pain deeply.
As I stand beside the bed of the dieing person, they often look up and say, “Murray, I know I am dieing…but my kids won’t let me say that.” One of the deeply moving experiences that I have had involved a senior man that said to me from the chair beside his bed in palliative care, “Murray, I will be dead soon, I can feel it happening now… I wish that my family could understand…I’m okay with it… soon I will be in Paradise with Jesus. My wife can’t accept that fact that I am dieing.”
No one wants to accept that they are experiencing death – either personally or with some one close to them. We avoid it like a plague. But it is coming. We do everything possible to prepare for it but will not talk about it. We buy life insurance but never want to talk about death. Our home mortgages are insured just in case “something happens to us” – just in case we die! We pick out and pay for grave plots but never want to talk about using them.
I am making a bold statement here… I AM DIEING… I have been dieing for a number of years. I will be dead soon… I am just not sure how soon or how it will happen. The sudden stop at the end of this life… the moment that my heart quits its last beat… has not been determined yet. But it is coming… and I WILL BE DEAD.
There that feels much better to have admitted a reality.
Now – do I want to die? No – no not yet. There are about 1000 reasons in my garage of unfinished projects and “hope to be done someday” kind of ideas that I have on the go right now. But that hasn’t changed the realities. I will go to my grave some day soon… a lot sooner than it was when I was 23. I am now 63.
To prepare my way and make the ideas come closer to home… I have made my own head stone for my imaginary grave(at this point imaginary). It is made of wood and is lettered completely – except for the one final line – The month, the day and the final year. You can see the photo to show you what I mean.Want to have some “fun” today? Try writing your own Obituary. Try to be honest. Then see if the newspaper would publish it – if it was honest. “Murray, are you nuts?” That is not “fun”!
Whoa! Stop – just a moment – haven't you seen the word “fun” – in “funeral”?
Hey – let the record show – I am going to die. Now deal with it. That feels so much better.
~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~
Source and Resource
MacLean’s article “The way we mourn” http://www.macleans.ca/culture/lifestyle/article.jsp?content=20070903_109067_109067
Rapture explanation - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapture
1 Corinthians 15 - New International Version - verse 50 - 57
I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
posted by Murray Lincoln at
Friday, August 31, 2007
1 Comments:
So many people are afraid of death these days. My grandmother died earlier this year, and about a year ago she told my mother she was afraid to die...my mom and aunts all tried to talk to her about God and how things would be better in Heaven if she would only believe. Well this year when she got sick, we feel that she held on as long as she could, until she was right with God (now we will not know for sure until we make it to Heaven and see that she is there). I know that death will come one day to me as well. I am hopefull that it isn't for quiet a few years yet. But in Gods timing.
P.S. I read your blog about Pastor Rick Hilsden...I haven't seen any new updates on the blog, I am just wondering if there is an update there. (you could e-mail me personally with that information if you would like)
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