There is probably no more common fear in the human race as the fear of death.
There is also no more powerful antidote to combat that fear than faith.
It is a universal understanding – that life as we know it and define it is finite. We all know that our lifespan is limited. We all know that we are going to die. We witness it throughout our lives as loved ones, friends, and even pets cease to exist in our lives.
We mourn the passing of others and fight to avoid our own demise. All the while, we seldom stop to analyze the emotional element of our fears and sorrow.
Why do we react so emotionally to an event that we know is inevitable?
A large part of the answer is the language, labels and images that we assign to death.
Due to the image and experience of the cessation of communication and physical movement in a deceased person, we interpret death as a state of non-existence. Our very definition of “life” exists as a particular set of images in our minds.
So, what is the key to acceptance and peace of mind?
There is one cure for the fear of death. It is the same cure for the state of mourning and pain of loss we experience as survivors.
That cure is clearly faith.
Once we grasp that our being exists independent of the physical body, we will learn to view death, not as an end, but as a transition, a release. We will gradually understand that our fears and sense of loss are largely the result of the vocabulary and images that we have embraced.
As we embrace the reality that what we call “life” is a temporary condition much like a school for a spiritual being, we recognize that death is merely a graduation to a new level of existence.
But, the key to true peace of mind is not merely a belief in an afterlife, it is knowing with certainty that we exist beyond the physical world with which we are familiar. While most of our education in the concept of an afterlife comes from spiritual texts such as the Bible, absolute knowing may be possible by acknowledging contemporary testimony as well.
Accounts by psychics, mediums, and those who have experienced an NDE, contribute to our ability to see beyond the ancient texts and convert what we believe into what we know.
Yes, we will still mourn, but our mourning will be tempered by the understanding of the phrase “until we meet again.” Yes, we will still try to avoid death, but we will learn to accept the inevitability of a transitional phase of our existence as a release from the limitations of our physical existence.
Once we have made that transition, we will enter that state of knowledge, joy, and love that the Bible promises.
As for our loved ones – who could deny them that?