Mortality

There are eight friends on my prayer list who have cancer. Five of them are members of our church choir. One is our pastor’s wife. This morning I found out that another friend has been diagnosed with (ALS). He has helped many people in his service to God. Last year I had three good friends who died. All three of them had been in the same morning prayer group. Every one of these men and women, who are still alive, are wonderful people who love God and have tirelessly served him and continue to serve him.

In case you haven’t noticed, good people, Christian people, experience terrible diseases and at some point die. Eventually all of us will die. It doesn’t matter if you are holy or if you are evil you will die. Why is it that good people, the best people, the people that we count on die? Why do young people die? Children, babies, why do they die? Why are people we love tragically killed in accidents? Together we stand in our grief and our question is, “Why did this have to happen?”

Long, long ago God told the couple he created to never eat the fruit on a beautiful tree in the center of a beautiful garden. He said, “If you disobey me and eat this fruit you will surely die. As long as you obey me and leave the fruit alone you will live.” One day these two were tempted by the evil one and they ate the fruit. Because they disobeyed God they eventually died. What they did was called sin. We know that all have sinned. Therefore all of us will die.

We get upset when we hear that someone we love has died or has a disease that may kill them. We may break down and cry, become angry, or withdraw and want to be left alone. Our reaction may be to place blame on something or someone. Sometimes there may be another person to blame for the particular timing of one’s death. We can play the blame game if we wish, but the reason all of us are born with mortality staring us in the face is that we are all sinners. Yet all are given a chance to accept the Loving Father’s saving Grace through Jesus Christ his Son.