The Fear of Death

Death is scary. There is a lot to death to be scared of. The fear of the unknown for one. I have read “Heaven is Real,” “90 Minutes in Heaven, “23 Minutes in Hell,” the list can go on and on. But still curiosity lingers.

Death is often personified in the bible, poetry, and stories. It’s like an arrogant enemy taunting us. Death is our enemy. And not ours only.

1 Corinthians 15:25-26 says “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”

That is good news! Death is an enemy of God.

1 Corinthians 15 continues in verse 54 through 57 “when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Wow, so much can be said about these verses! For now I will end with this poem by John Donne.

Death, Be Not Proud by John Donne

Death, be not Proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best me with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.
Thou’rt slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell;
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell’st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more: Death, thou shalt die.