Death is the great unknown. It is one of our greatest fears. It is something that we seek to avoid at all costs. It is something that we try to delay as long as possible. It can strike suddenly and unexpectedly. It cannot, however, be avoided.
There are different views on what happens after we have died. I believe we go to heaven if we have been good and to a hot, very uncomfortable place if we have been naughty. Some folks believe in Karma, that you assume another life form, either moving ahead if you have been good or coming back as a lesser being if you have been bad. Some folks believe you just die and there is nothing else.
While there is no consensus on what happens to our souls after our demise, there is pretty much a great consensus on the issue of not wanting to die. For the most part, very few people actually want to pass away from this life. And along with that desire to live comes a great fear of death.
That seems to me a rather odd thing. I’m really not afraid of death, because if I am right in my belief about heaven, there is nothing to fear. While I’m not perfect, I think my niceness far outweighs my naughtiness and I should stand a pretty good chance of being approved by St. Peter. Same thing with Karma. I figure I have been, for the most part, a good person, so I shouldn’t fall too far down the life-form ladder, if I fall at all. Then again, if nothing happens after death, well, there is nothing to fear.
What it boils down to for me is the point that life is what I’m concerned about most. God’s promise that good things happen to good people on their death is reassuring, but not the big selling point. I’m more encouraged by the thought of living this life as best I can and making the most out of every moment and opportunity that comes my way. There may be painful moments, there may be fearful times, there may be great disappointments, but even in those times one can make the best of life. Those might not be happy moments, but they are part of a complete and rich life.
Ultimately, for me, it’s the fear of not having lived a full, rich life that is more daunting than the fear of death. I think I can face God eye to eye if I try to live as good a life as possible now, rather than worrying about what will happen in some unknown time to come. Being able to say to my creator “I did my best to love folks and care for creation, according to your will” is, I believe, the greatest comfort in the face of our ultimate demise. Don’t be afraid of the final curtain. If you live with joy and passion and love and do your best for others and for God you have nothing to fear from death.
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