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Fear of Death

Scripture Reading: Mark 5:36

Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe. Mark 5:36

A Christian friend who was preparing to die said to me, “I’ve never been here before. I’m looking forward to heaven, but I hope it’s a soft landing.” I realized that he was talking about the process of death. We only die once, and the uncertainty can bring fear.

When I think about the fear of circumstances outside our control—like death—several pictures come to my mind: one is a child in its mother’s arms, another is that of angels.

I’ve often seen my daughter holding her sleeping child. The child is calm and completely at rest in his mother’s loving arms. Watching that rest is an excellent reminder for me that God invites us to rest fully in his love. Are we so content and calm in God’s arms that we will rest in his amazing love as he carries us through the valley of death?

The second picture I think of is one of angels—like angels keeping watch. When my grandson was in the neonatal unit, I envisioned angels above his isolette, keeping track of every breath, every heartbeat. When a friend or family member was dying, in my mind, I saw angels in the room, watching, waiting. 

While these pictures help me, we can hold on to something even better than simple mental images. When we face our death, we will indeed have never been there before. But Jesus, our Savior, lives in us. And he has been there. He suffered, he died. And we know without a doubt, Jesus lives. He lives, and because he lives in us, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Nothing—not even death. 

Resting fully in God’s love, we know that Jesus is with us and sends angels to watch over us. We can say with the psalmist, “Whom shall I fear?”

Loving God, there is much we should fear if we faced this day alone. But you, O Lord, are with us; thanks be to God! Amen. —Prayer from Psalms for All Seasons

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