Put my money where my eternity is.

A friend commented yesterday on his many years of working in the mortuary field . Among some pretty cool and disgusting stories he made a statement that, as a believer, made my insides hurt. He said that of all the different religions that he encountered "Christians and catholics handle it (the death of a loved one) the worst!" ...Ouch!... How can this be? What about...? What gives someone the right to...? I know that many may be quick to cry out "Yeah, but...!" In this case I can assure you that this friend is quite kind and understanding to all who believe in whatever. I respect that! He is not ungrounded and critical around me, which makes the comment, in my opinion, all the more potent.


I must confess that death has been increasingly in my thoughts due to some family members dying over the past few months. It has been GREAT! I have never longed for heaven, looked forward to time with my Lord and those who have died before me, and ached for people to experience God like in these past months.


At the funeral for my wife's grandfather I started thinking about 1 Thess. 4:13-18. We are not to mourn like those who have no hope. That's just plain good ol' direction. The church that Paul was addressing was going through some persecution and was in need of hope as they were dealing with death both actual and immanent. In light of persecution, Paul told them to encourage each other with these words, think about death accurately.


Ezekiel was a different set of circumstances (Ezk. 24:15-18). He was told that death was going to happen to someone he loved. He was told to show almost no emotions. Why? How?... WHO? I might have come unglued with these questions. It makes one think. Is this simply God being harsh or is it God giving a man a bit of hard, accurate perspective on death?



I apologise if you are looking for a inspiring conclusion here. Tonight I don't have the desire to do much more than express my sadness over the fact in my friends observation. (Sorry if the title seems a bit misleading after reading this.)