The Pen of the Wayfarer: The Process of Dying Daily

Sunday, November 12, 2006

The Process of Dying Daily

Much in our life experience is actually an experience

of death. Death surrounds us in many forms. Jesus

speaks much of death, but he speaks of it in widely

divergent ways. There is a death that produces

death, and there is a death that produces life.

How do I know that my experience of death will

result in the new life of resurrection or whether

I am simply dead in my sins--dead the worse

possible way? For in either case, a genuine death

occurs but of two completely varieties.

I love it when Jesus tells people that certain dead

people are "just sleeping." You really have to laugh.

We are human. We know dead. Lazarus is stone

cold dead. Dead 3 days in the hot sun dead.

Abutting the decomposition mode dead. Jesus,

however, tells his disciples that dear old Lazarus

is just "sleeping" John 11:11. Because they are

nowhere near smelling range of Lazarus, they

think he really is just "sleeping." "Ok," they say,

"that's a good sign, he'll rest and feel better." But

Lazarus is utterly dead. Sleeping won't help him

if Jesus doesn't do something.

Then there is the little girl who has died. Jesus

tells the family that she is "just sleeping"

(Mark 5:39.) His assessment of the situation is

not met with a lot of respect. The girl is dead.

I'm telling you, we are human. We know dead.

Jesus, stop being so mean to the family! But

Jesus is by no means "mean." Christ's

assessment of what dead is and my assessment

of what dead is, are two different things. In His

assessment, people can look to be completely

alive but really be "whitewashed sepulchres"

(Mat. 23:27) and completely without life. He

tells people to come and follow Him and "let

the dead bury their own dead (Mat 8:22) ."

Yes. Hmmm.

I notice that the early church picks up Jesus'

term of calling physically dead believers simply,

those who have "fallen asleep." Stephen "fell

asleep" (Acts 7:60) as he is stoned to death,

Paul preaches that David accomplishes his

earthly journey and "falls asleep" (Acts 13:36).

Many of the Lord's followers have "fallen

asleep," (I Cor 15:6, 18, 20); and that at the

Lord's table, many are sick or "have fallen

asleep" (I Cor 11:30). Those who die in the

Lord, fall under Jesus definition of "falling

asleep." Death has lost its cold, hard sting.

For I must say to you that we who are the

Lord's experience a real death process long

before we get to the grave. It begins, in

great measure, with our baptism. It by

no means ends there.

T.S. Eliot, reportedly reflecting on

his own baptism, in the poignant

poem: The Journey of the Magi
says,

"All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen

birth and death,
But had thought they were different;

this Birth was Hard and bitter agony

for us, like Death, our death,
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old

dispensation, With an alien people

clutching their gods. I should be glad

of another death. "

Eliot reflects that the Magi coming to Jesus

know that everything will now change in

their lives. A certain death of the "old

dispensation" has come and will leave their

future uncertain. For make no mistake about

it, our baptism ushers us into a genuine death.

For what is death but a process of being put

out of the control of one's self? Our future as

believers is anything but uncertain, but before

we can enter into the glory of this heartfelt

knowing, a real death must come. A death that

sweeps us away from all that we have known

before. It is a complete death, and it is without

escape. It is not a physical death but the

experience of a spiritual one.

A death, our death, is what births us into our

new life: the life of God. Of course we are

already spiritually dead to begin with. Then

we come to a place of accepting God's

forgiveness and receiving His life. We are

baptized with Him into His death (Romans 6:3)

and all of our old identity dies with Him.

And then Jesus promises us the another

baptism, this time one of fire! First I will

be drowned, and then I shall be burned!

Dear Lord, shall there be anything left of

me? Well, if you put it in those terms it

seems to move away from the strictly

theological understanding to one

connected to our everyday lives.

Paul says, "I die daily"(I Cor. 15:31). Dying

to ourself is both a one-time event and a

continual process. If we were expecting clear

sailing every day, we would be very naive

sailors indeed. What we are not prepared

for is the intensity of the death that we will

experience. Not just a little scary ride through

the "fun house" but a force so overpowering,

that, well, it could only be Death.

Ah, but dear reader, our faith is about Life

and resurrection. Yes, but first we must speak

of death. And back to our question, how do I

know that I am dying unto Life, or dead into

eternal death? It is only by my simple, childlike

faith in Christ.

We must follow the Lord where He leads us. If
that be through death before it is through life,
and most assuredly it will be, then follow Him
we must. It is our faith in Him alone, faith
stripped naked and bare, that gives

us the assurance that we are kept by Him. Do

know that He himself has made this journey

before. Alone. He came forth the Victor. He did

it for us. He experienced the height and breadth

and depth of Death. For me. For you.

There will be days when we will be sure that death

has won over us. It is for those who are in those

days that I may be writing. To those I have but

one word of advice: Do not focus on the process of

death, but on the One in whom you have believed.

Death is meant to overwhelm us, and to conquer

our natural strength. It will finish us off unless we

reach our hearts ever so slightly to the One who