"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."
I often walk under a large clock outside a funeral services shop in central Croydon. Crowds of people pass by it at all hours of the day. I wonder how many in the crowd see the clock and ponder their mortality for a moment? I'm sure I'm not the only one. In a culture of endless distraction, we often don't allow ourselves adequate time to think deeply about life. And the topic of death? Who wants to focus on such a dreadful thing?
In the Christian scriptures, Psalm 90 is a song that tradition says was written by the ancient Hebrew leader Moses. As he thinks about death he can't help but return to thinking about God. In a world broken by sin, what hope does a person have apart from the merciful intervention of a holy God?
God has acted. God has intervened. Through the work of Jesus, sin and death have been defeated. All who trust in the good news of Jesus see death not as the most dreadful topic to avoid but as an intricate part of the story God is telling through all human history. A follower of Jesus doesn't despair about death but in a strange way embraces it joyfully because they have hope that they will join Jesus in his resurrection. We should think wisely about the brevity of life. Don't avoid the topic. There should be an urgency that courses through our slowly dying veins.
Our church community, Redeemer Croydon, values urgency. Our time in this life is so short, our calling from God to share the good news of Jesus is a divine calling, and our enemy is always active. "We have all eternity to celebrate our victories, but only one short hour before sunset in which to win them." If you have doubts or questions about what happens after you die, Katie and I would love to talk with you. Send us a message sometime!