Season of Dying

This past week I officiated three funeral services. Helping people deal with the death of a loved one is always different and challenging. Though we may be prepared for the death of a loved one, the finality of dying is something I don’t think we are ever ready for as humans. The topic of death is not a top-shelf subject in most social conversations, outside of parameters associated with a funeral. In other words, for some people death is not perceived to be a beautiful discussion point.

I want to argue that it is...

Fall is my favorite time of the year. If you know me, then you probably get tired of hearing me say those words over and over during this season. The color that comes alive during Autumn is absolutely captivating. The yellows, oranges, reds, and brown are bright, the sky seems bluer, and rays of sunshine look more golden. I love it, especially if I am able to appreciate a mountain view. As much as we love and appreciate the beauty of the leaves in the fall, they are actually dying. It’s strange when you think about it this way, isn’t it? We don’t noticeably perceive death as a beautiful event, but it certainly seems that we do during this season.

Leaves contain chlorophyll, which is what gives the leaves their green color, and is also necessary for photosynthesis, the process by which plants use sunlight to synthesize food. During Autumn, in the place of chlorophyll, other elements that make the yellows, oranges, and reds emerge prominently, creating the lush color we appreciate. In other words, during this season, the trees are going somewhat dormant and their leaves die and then fall to the ground, becoming a part of the humus floor of the forest. This layer holds in rainfall and provides necessary nutrients for the tree’s continued growth. Maybe that is way more than you wanted to know about the death of leaves, but I do have a point.

Everyone is afraid of death to a certain degree. For those who say they are not, they are lying. Even on our spiritual journey, God wants to remake us into the image of Christ, which involves real change within us, and a certain death to "self" -- or our identity and individual nature (desires, ways, thinking, doing, etc.). To be a Christian, or a “Christ-follower,” you cannot avoid this death. I engage, converse with, and counsel, numerous people each week who are trying in some way to hang on to who they are, refusing to give their lives -- or that “one thing” -- over to God. Then they can’t understand why their life continues to be upside down. In the process of their struggle, there is often collateral damage to those around them (family, friends, and onlookers). Remember, a drowning person can kill you.

Jesus said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it." (Luke 9:23-24, NLT).

I am reminded of the lyrics of a David Crowder song, where he sings, "Everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die." How true is that, particularly here in America where many voices scream at us daily to remind us that we can have it our own way, whenever we want it? It seems this is the consumer lens through which we interpret Christianity. But where is Jesus in such an interpretation?

We perceive death as the end. But Jesus showed us that death is actually the beginning of new life -- life in all fullness! Jesus offers us a new and beautiful life. He certainly did not say it would be easy. Anything involving death -- or the end of something in order to receive something (sacrifice!) -- never is. Jesus also said, "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels -- a plentiful harvest of new lives." (John 12:24, NLT).

In this season of your life are you ready to die?