El final adiós

On my way to work, we were listening to NPR News and a man was narrating about how he survived cancer and how, many years later he lost his 14 Year old boy in an accident. And around this time my buddy changed the station. And he said, "I changed it cos he was talking about death!". And ofcourse, that made me think! Why are we afraid of death or even the though of it? Oh Yes, I understand that we part with the things that we hold dear in this earth, forever! But isnt more expected from people who are heaven-bound? Arent people who believe in the Risen Savior supposed to anxiously and earnestly look forward to the final exodus with sheer anticipation? But it does'nt happen, does it? No SIR, it don't! Why? Very simple! The trifling things of the 'NOW' are more important than the phenomenal things of the 'AFTER'!

Here is a poem I bumped into:

Afraid'
Of what'
To feel the spirit’s glad release,
To pass from pain to perfect peace,
The strife and strain of life to cease.
Afraid of that'

Afraid'
Of what'
Afraid to see the Savior’s face,
To hear his welcome and to trace
The glory gleaned from wounds of grace
Afraid of that'

Afraid'
Of what'
A flash, a crash
A pierced heart
Darkness!
Light!

Oh, heaven’s art!
A wound of His,
A counterpart
Afraid of that'

Afraid'
Of what'
To do by death what life could not
Baptize with blood a stony plot
Till souls shall blossom from this spot
Afraid of that'

E. H. Hamilton

Death is not extinguishing the light from the Christian; it is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come. (Unknown)