Why should death be so respected when it brings so much sadness?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: I do not like to attend funerals and I am glad that people are getting away from these morbid gatherings. When our society is in desperate need of more happiness than sadness, why are there still people who insist that death should be respected when it brings so much sadness? -- F.D.
A: This present age is definitely not an age of mourning. Instead, people deliberately turn away from anything unpleasant, determined to fill their lives with those things which will divert their minds from anything serious. In their preoccupation with momentary pleasures and diversions, people settle for shallow and empty substitutes for reality. Millions give more thought to the next entertainment to seek. Perhaps much of it is to help put off dealing with the finality of what really happens when death comes knocking.
The present culture could be known as "the culture of superficiality." The popular phrases of "so what" or "whatever" describe the attitude of many toward life. Many think that so long as we have automobiles to ride in, TV and movies to entertain us, mobile devices at hand, and gadgets to serve us, what happens to our souls does not matter. The idea of, "Laugh, and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone," is all too familiar. But superficial living will never help us stand against the pressures and problems of life.
While Jesus came to bring life abundantly (John 10:10), we cannot ignore the fact that all of mankind sits on death row. How we die or when we die is not the main issue, but where we go after death. Someone has said that death is not a period, but a comma in the story of life. For those who know Christ, death is a time of celebration, that souls redeemed will be united with the Lord forever in eternity. Every person should ask, "Where do I stand with Jesus Christ, and am I ready to meet Him?
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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)
(c)2020 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
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