We fear death because we love life.
We don’t ask for life, yet receive it as a free gift. Having received our gift, we grow to love it. Whether born into riches or delivered amongst the poor of Africa, we cherish our life most deeply.
Death is a robber. It steals away the thing we love most.
Imagine the fear if a gun were put to your head. Confronting a venomous snake strikes terror. A growling dog provokes readiness to flee. Who isn’t a little bit afraid of spiders? How many nightmares feature falling?
All are a threat to our prize possession.
Some extremists even centre themselves in the path of death. The adrenalin rush from jumping off a bridge or defying gravity, bursts out by putting their life in danger.
But why do we love our life so much? Why is it so precious? Why should we care if we live or die?
Because death is life’s antonym.
For example, our immune system works tirelessly warring against disease or foreign bodily invasions. We’re not designed to die. We’re always inventing ways to make our life easier, more pleasurable, less painful. Why should it matter?
I believe if we simply evolved this way, then who gives a rip? We’re just an accident of natural forces anyway.
But here’s the rub. We DO give a rip. We DO care; care enough to do almost anything to preserve our life. We’re no accident. God made us that way.
And that’s a story for another article.
