Advent 2024: Martin Davie (CT): What do Christians Have to Say About Death?

A good article, appropriate for the season of Advent, worth your time and reflection. For those with ears to hear, listen and understand.

The fact that death is coming for all of us, raises the inevitable question of how we should view it. Is it something we should be afraid of, or not?

In the Anglican Christian tradition to which I belong, a classic answer to this question is provided by the homily, or sermon, ‘Against the fear of death’ which was authorised for use in parish churches by the Church of England in the sixteenth century.

This homily explains why there are three reasons why ‘worldly’ (i.e. ungodly) people commonly fear death:

‘…. one, because they shall lose thereby, their worldly honours, riches, possessions, and all their heart’s desires; another, because of the painful diseases, and bitter pangs, which commonly men suffer, either before or at the time of death; but the chief cause, above all other, is the dread, of the miserable state of eternal damnation, both of body and soul, which they fear shall follow after their departing, after the worldly pleasure of this present life. ‘

However, none of these causes should make a Christian afraid of death. This is because:

Read it all.

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