If “The fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom,” then, “the fear of death is the root of all misery and purposeless living!” Yes, it’s the fear of death that makes most people depressed. And these are the people who go through life without a sense of purpose, thinking that it doesn’t matter how they live or what they do in life, for a time will come when they’ll also die like the animals. For such people, death is an inevitable end beyond which lies a deep and dark unknown.
Now, one may wonder why such people or most people in general fear death, and the answer is simple. They conceive of death as being a natural phenomenon or process shrouded in mystery and darkness. For them, to die is to be snuffed out suddenly like a candle and fall into an infinite darkness where there is no knowledge and not even a smattering of the passing pleasures of life. And they assume this to be a painful process that ultimately ends up in darkness.
Others are also so much obsessed with the pleasures of life to the extent that they can’t bring themselves to think about a time in the near or distant future, in which they’ll not be able to enjoy the pleasures of life; food, wine, partying, hanging out with friends, and so on.
In contrast to those who fear death are those that have more or less knowledge of what it actually is and for that matter never fear it. Indeed, what is known is less feared than what is not known. This second grouping of people who don’t fear death are also made up of smaller sects with diverse beliefs about death. Some considered it a peaceful process which enables them to be transformed and be given birth to on Earth again; reincarnation!
Others who are always amused at the reincarnation process consider death to be a process in which a person leaves his/her body to be with the Creator. As some Christian denominations put it, “to be absent in the body is to be present with God.” And thus there is no need to fear, for death itself is nothing, but a transformation process. I personally disagree with this view for it’s not Biblical.
Indeed, it’s a grave error to assume that immediately after dying, a person appears either in Heaven or in Hell, for this teaching isn’t Biblical. The Bible astutely calls those who are dead as people sleeping. These people will, indeed, wake up in the resurrection to come. And I can assure you, if you try telling them that they we’re dead for a number of years, decades, or centuries, they’ll never believe you! Yes, that’s how death’s like. It’s nothing to fear. You’ll not suddenly be snuffed out like candle.
Truly, nature is kind to mankind in all things, including death. Death’s nothing more than an instant of sleeping, but it the type that lasts for a period not more than one seconds. When you go to bed at night are you aware of the exact moment that you fall asleep? And when you wake up again, do you feel in your body or perception, how long you’d been asleep? That’s what death’s like. Nothing to fear, right?
