My children ask me, “Why did Dad die?”
I told them, “It was an accident. There are small accidents, like knocking over your milk at the dinner table. And there are large accidents, like the one your dad was in. No one meant it to happen. It just happened. And his body was too badly damaged in the accident for his soul to stay in it anymore, and so he died.
“God does not spill milk. God did not bash the truck into your father’s car. Nowhere in scripture does it say, ‘God is car accident’ or ‘God is death.’ God is justice and kindness, mercy, and always—always—love. So if you want to know where God is in this or in anything, look for love.”
To hear more from Reverend Braestrup, listen to her interviewed by Krista Tippett on Speaking of Faith.
I think that's the best description of death that I've ever heard. It acknowledges that there is more to life than is confined to the body, and that one can (and does) exist outside of it. It puts no assumption on where or how that occurrs, and invites us to see what we need to from that simple framework.
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