Befriending Death

On a scale of one to ten, how thrilled are you at the prospect of dying? Ten being, “I can’t wait!” and one being, “Can we change the subject, PLEASE?”

Death is that elephant in the room of our lives. And it follows us from room to room, year to year. The elephant enters the room around the age of five. I can remember my own children suddenly worried about me being out of eyesight. There was anxiety around sleepovers and calls from play dates to come get them shortly after I dropped them off. It wasn’t always verbalized, but there was definitely a new found awareness that things die, including people.

This week we had an inspiring talk at Firstfruits, by Jen Schultz, on the topic of near-death experiences. Jen’s own curiosity about death was the motivation to take a deep dive into the many documented experiences of people who died and lived to tell about it.

Jen shared some interesting facts with us.

The NDE is more common than you think. They have been reported all over the world and across all demographic categories such as culture, religion, age group, education level, etc.

There are common elements reported in these NDEs. Among these commonalities are:

• A feeling of immediate peace and relief from pain
• Extraordinary mental clarity
• Arriving in an environment described as beautiful, peaceful, or “more real than real.”
• An overwhelming feeling of love, acceptance, and understanding.
• Returning to the body was often described as abrupt or even disappointing after the peace of the experience.

One of the most consistent findings in the research Jen cites, is that people who report NDEs often experience long-lasting life changes including:

• Loss of the fear of death
• Greater compassion and empathy
• Stronger sense of meaning or purpose
• Less interest in material success
• Greater appreciation for relationships and everyday life
• Increased concern for nature
• Increased interest in spirituality

These are all things we can strive for in our very much alive lives right now. That was my take-away from the talk. There is a lot to learn from what NDEers have experienced.

I think all of us who were at the talk this week took one baby step closer to befriending death. We at least acknowledged the elephant in the room. We were open to others’ experiences, and as a result we came away comforted.

As the first of the Spring flowers are poking their heads out, be reminded of, and find comfort in, the assurance of the beauty that awaits.

Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, what God has ready for those who love Him.

 1Cor.2:9

Joan