The Christian meaning of death

Abstract

It cannot be denied that death is a mystery; it evokes fear and anxiety on all of us each time we have to face its reality when we hear of the death of someone we know, someone dear to us. But this is just momentary and then we forget about it even though we hear about so many deaths around us. The mass media overwhelms us with facts, pictures about mass violence, riots, tragic accidents, yet these do not really seem much to most of us - these deaths seem to be occurring far away, to people we do not know, with the result that we contemplate death only as spectators and it is for this reason perhaps that we tolerate violence and war so long as it does not involve us personally. Moreover we are being continually indoctrinated by so many advertisements about eating the right kind of food, youthfulness and vitality, staying healthy and physical fitness programmes - all of these seem to be doping us to the idea that we are never going to grow old, and death seems much too far away. Most deaths used to occur in the homes. There used to be the priest explaining the meaning of death as the will of God. There was the strong hope of life after death offered and this helped to ease the fear, the loneliness, the uncertainty of it all. Now, however, many deaths, indeed all deaths in highly developed countries, are occurring in convalescent homes or hospitals where much care is lavished upon the patient and the best possible treatment is given by nurses and doctors, all highly qualified, but where the patient is otherwise cut off in an isolated wards where friends and relatives are allowed only a few minutes' conversation. Then, when the end comes, there are the funeral homes where he is embalmed, made to look as natural as possible, where a most careful vocabulary is used and everything is nicely arranged to cover up what has actually happened [...].