“Oh, the different consciousness between the grieving and the dying! One sees midnight, the other joyful sunrise. One sees death, the other Life as never before.” - Richard Bach, Illusions II: The Adventures of a Reluctant Student
Trying to find a positive message about death isn't easy. Even for the faithful, we struggle with loss. Knowing a life without pain, without sadness is ahead holds little comfort for the grieving. I can't imagine what someone without faith must go through, having nothing at all to counterbalance the weight.
I have thought about such things, more than once. Does the atheist, with his last breath, find that which eluded him in life, and surrender his soul to the Almighty and gain redemption? Does the atheist, uncertain right to the end, open his heart and mind to the miracle and accept their mortality with an eye to the hereafter? I have no idea. But I pray that those I count as friends find what they are searching for, and that we share a laugh over a cold drink in the finest bar in Heaven. Sure, there's a bar in Heaven. And dogs and cats. And a chocolate fountain. Free. It's my Heaven, so there. Drop by sometime, someday.
Back to the positive message, now.... yep, I'm having some trouble finding a consistent one for this subject. Seems death and loss provide many questions without answers. Clear ones, anyway.
I guess that's what faith is all about. Plodding ahead with life every day, with the belief that no matter what happens and where we rest our head that night, we'll be where we belong. Safe in the arms of those we love, here on Earth or in Heaven. If you thouht about it very much, you'd probably scare yourself out of.... living. There'd be "Danger, Will Robinson" alerts going off in our heads constantly, trying to stay safe.
But in our hearts, we know there's no such thing as safe. We are born to die. And to live again. Without those burdens, without that pain. And then we won't need any answers, because we'll be truly free. The answers won't matter anymore.
Love this.
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