image from equip.org
Death has invaded my thoughts of late. One of my best friends passed last year from brain cancer. Several friends have died from COVID. And earlier today, our church’s home group met at the home of a member: he inside the family room, we outside on the patio with an open window between. Multiple cancers are about to take him home. We expressed our appreciation of him, of the gifts he brought, we sang a song, and prayed.
Out of the blue, I remembered a quote in the obituary of a famous atheist, “I know death comes to all, but in my case, I had hoped for an exception.” The KJV does provide one, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him” (Hebrews 11:5). Despite our varying ages and health statuses, we all need to grapple with the reality that death can come at any time. Unless our name is Enoch, perhaps.
Thinking of the popular movie Lost in Translation, I had to check this out. The Greek word for translation means “to transpose, to transfer, to change.” Think of language translation—we take the meaning found in the words of one language and transfer that meaning to the words of another language.
Maybe we can think of death primarily as a translation. For those in Jesus, God takes the person living in a physical and temporary world and transfers that person’s essence, their meaning, their mind, emotions, and will, into another world, one primarily spiritual and eternal and with fewer limits. To see what we’ll be translated to in more depth, please read 1 Corinthians 15:35-58, and discover what it will mean to be “found in translation.”
Frankly, none of this breaking new ground, but does brought me a fresh way to look at death, and maybe it will touch you as well. Here are some tips on developing this less fearsome view of the end of our physical lives.
First, clarify to yourself and God that you’re ready to be found in translation—that Jesus is your Lord and Savior. I think we need an addition. Two friends have already mentioned they are thinking of death more because of their aging parents. Perhaps we need to be ready for the deaths of those who seem to face it more imminently. Yes, this will vary depending on the situation, but talk about it. Do what can and should be done.
Second, if you have some flawed relationships, do your best to fix them. We can’t fix them all, but we can give it our best shot. May they shed a tear at our translation, not a smile.
Third, have your finances in order for those left behind. And be sure to let them know. I take a long motorcycle ride each year, and I’ve shown Sheila what she needs to know. Just in case.
Fourth, as we age, we gain physical and mental infirmities. Try to view them as preparation to be translated to a new body with no temptations around. Put a positive spin on them.
Fifth, when friends and family get translated into a new life, realize you can temper the loss and grief by remembering that our translation will bring a reunion.
Kick Starting the Application
How often do you think about death? On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 hating the idea of being translated and 10 eagerly anticipating it, where do you rank? Would you like to change that? How can you do that? Where does God fit into this?