Brian’s Reflection: Thursday, July 9, 2009

Death is
the opposite
of time.

- Deng Ming Tao (Taoist)


At death, nothing is actually destroyed. The body disintegrates into its various bits, physical, chemical, other more mysterious things. We human beings, of all religions, have come up with some either charming or distasteful ideas of what that disintegration “looks like”. But we don’t know – despite all the lovely pictures or scary pictures that the Scriptures or various people have come up with, rising up like wraiths from the vast imaginations of bewildered or just curious human beings.

What we really seem to worry about is our “identity”. What happens to that when we die? But it worries us. And we have come up with amazing ideas that cushion our anxiety about losing our “Identity”, our self-consciousness. One is that we will all be reunited with our Loved Ones “in the deep by and by”. It will be one grand party with family and friends (and we forget about the enemies!).

I’m beginning to appreciate the “Eastern” idea that the “identity” is but a “garment”, or a multi-layer of garments, like those worn by the shaman. At death, it/they “fall away”. But there is still “someone”, underneath. Deng says that once we understand who that someone is, “death no longer bothers us. Nor does time”.

I don’t think he is saying that personal identity is not important. It is, as we negotiate this earthly Life. But it is not important eternally. Therefore, we need to sit lightly with it in the realm of time. And once we do, we are free, free to Live, here and beyond.

One thing the death of Jesus tells us is that abundant Life flows out of “dying to self”. Jesus Himself is reported to have said that those who are willing to give up their Life for His sake and the Gospel’s will have a hundred-fold in this life, and in the world to come Life Everlasting.

We have two strikes against us in this “sitting lightly” with our Identity. One, human arrogance, and two, the Western cult of the Individual. Perhaps, though, we can enter into the Mystery of which Jesus speaks. If so, I suspect Life here will begin to sparkle with a delicious freedom!

Brian+