On Tuesday I learned of the death of one of our beloved 15-year-old youth group boys back in Tennessee. This news is tragic on so many levels and it is really difficult to wrap my mind around. Death is one of those realities we avoid or take for granted until it hits us square in the nose. While I understand that reality, I am presently and acutely aware that it is good to purposefully think about the uncomfortable things (like death) from time to time so that we are not caught completely off-guard when we cross it. With that in mind, here are a few thoughts in light of the tragedy of death.

1) Life is indeed a vapor (James 4:14). We all have those great plans of what our future is going to be like. We dream of vacations, long careers, family dinners, and great adventures. Simultaneously we have a tendency to procrastinate on various duties of life because, “I will have time to get to that later.” The truth is that we do not even know if we have tomorrow. Should that knowledge affect how we live today?

2) “This was in God’s plan” is not a wise thing to say to the grieving. The sudden tragedy of death leaves us searching for something to say, ideally something that comforts and acknowledges God. However, one of the biggest mistakes we can make is telling a grieving family, “It was just part of God’s plan.” For starters, we cannot possibly know that to be true. Such insight has not been given to us and we should not claim to have it. Perhaps more importantly, it seems to me that scripture paints a different picture concerning the will of God. While it is true that he has called servants throughout history to very specific jobs (i.e. Moses or Isaiah), the bulk of humanity falls under the bigger picture. God’s will is to reclaim humanity, restore his creation, and unite all things together in Christ. Our role in that is to trust and follow him as long as we have breath. When we walk every day and make our decisions rooted in faith, then we know that God is working in all things to bring about the good of his ultimate will (Rom 8:28).

3) The hope of resurrection is so much more than a fantasy. One of my professors recently remarked, “When we say we believe in the resurrection, it causes us to say and do things that are contrary to the rest of the world.” This would include the way we think about death. This fleshly, fallen life cannot be seen as the pinnacle of our existence! Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we confidently know that it is not (1 Cor. 15). Our expectation is that, after death, we will stand again, be clothed in a new and better body, and live forever in the presence of our God. I cannot tell all of what that means or what it will look like, but I know it is far better than the existence I have here. I know THAT will be the pinnacle of my existence. Armed with that conviction, I can look death in the eye and say, “Do your worst! Because your worst is nothing compared to the power of my God!”

Death is a hard thing to cope with, but especially when it comes on suddenly and tragically. Please, take the time to reflect on it before the tragedy strikes. I know it is awkward and uncomfortable. I also know that such reflection will not remove the pain if (and when) you are forced to face it. What is will do is prepare you better to cope and endure so that you can say with Paul…

O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?

1 Corinthians 15:55

Cory Waddell