Death has been the experience of human life since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden. We have terms that attempt to lessen ‘The Sting of Death’, such as the Circle of Life yet we all know death is inevitable and a part of life here on this earth that we are reminded of during Lent, ‘For dust you are and to dust you shall return.’
The reality of the Sting of Death often begins early, it may be a child that dies, or a beloved pet that no longer is with us, and for many of us, the inevitable loss of a parent as they age. All we are left with is the memories of those who have died and at times, regrets that we have not spent the time with them as intended, or have not reminded them enough of our love for them when they were alive. Death has been an increasing part of many of our lives recently as we live through a pandemic and see vivid news of war and death.
On a more personal level, our family has recently experienced the loss of parents. We mourn the loss of their presence in our lives but as followers of Christ, we have a ‘Blessed Hope’, a term often used by the church I grew up in. The Blessed Hope is that we will see them again, in full health without pain, tears or sorrow. We have the promise by Jesus ‘Do not be afraid, for I have overcome the powers of death.’
Scripture that I find very comforting is from John in Revelation: ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away’ – Revelation 21: 1-4