Life after Death

What is going to happen to me when I die? Is this all there is? These are questions that most of us ask at various points in our lives. We ponder a bit, but not for long. We have things to do, so we put our questions on hold and go about our business. Years pass by without giving any of this much thought. That is, until life crashes in on us in a most unwelcome way. Perhaps, a close friend or relative dies or gets deathly sick. Or maybe we begin to reflect more as we approach the end of our years. Of course, we hear of miracles and near-death experiences. We might even watch TV testimonies from people who claim to have crossed over and then came back afterwards. And so, we wonder and even hope. Could it be true? Scary questions then come to mind. Does what I do in this life matter? Continuing to reflect, we recall those times where we screwed up. Is there going to be a judgment? Is there a better world to come? Will I go there? Will I reunite with those who came before? Is there a Hell? The bottom line is this: We are not in control. Our strong opinions and our anger mean nothing.

Stories can be a fun way to experience what people think, or thought. I especially like the ancient ones. For one thing they tend to be short and condensed. Second, they have stood the test of time. Too bad in Western culture we have largely lost the art of storytelling. Consider the fable of the dragonfly (author unknown).

Once, under the lily pads, were the muddy waters of a little pond. There lived a community of water beetles. Their days were simple and comfortable with few disturbances and interruptions.

Once in a while, a heaviness would fall over the area. This happened whenever one of their fellow beetles climbed up the stem of a lily pad, never to be seen again. They knew when this happened; their friend was dead, gone forever.

Then, one day, one little water beetle felt an irresistible urge to climb up that stem. He was determined that he would not leave forever. He would come back and tell his friends what he had found at the top.

After he struggled to reach the top, he climbed onto the surface of the lily pad. It was hard, and he felt so tired. The warmth of the sun convinced him to take a short nap. And so, he did. But as he slept, his body changed. When he woke up, he was now a beautiful blue-tailed dragonfly with broad wings. He had a brand-new slender body designed for flying.

So, fly he did! As he soared, he saw the beauty of a whole new world and experienced a far superior way of life. He never imagined that this could be possible.

But then, he remembered his beetle friends. “They think that I am dead,” he thought. Naturally, he wanted to go back to tell them: “I am alive, more alive than ever before!” His life had been fulfilled rather than ended.

But now, his new body could not go down into the water. He had no way to go back and tell his friends the good news. He realized, “Their time will come.” When that happens, they too will know what he now knows. So, he raised his wings and flew off into his joyous new life!

The dragonfly story is one of hope. After death, those alive will grieve, this is true. But the transformation will be awesome, and the new reality will be more real than the previous life. Although those who cross over can’t cross back, they wait patiently for the time when we meet again.

Ancient faith traditions answer the life after death question in varied ways, and we now live in the tolerant generation. Because of this, many simply throw their hands up and confidently pronounce: “It doesn’t matter, all paths lead to the transcendent.” It is a nice hope, but is it true? How do we know? The statement is loaded with assumptions. First, we assume that there is a transcendence of some kind. Second, we expect that this transcendence conforms to either what we hope or what we were taught. Finally, there is the belief that life will continue in some fashion after death. It is easy to join company with an ideology or religion that believes something. Groupthink can even convince us that our community has the truth. Nevertheless, in this post I want to put this aside. Let’s consider the question from a Christian point of view.

The central Christian tenet is that Jesus died according to scripture, was buried, and then rose again. Did this happen? If not, Christianity is false. If yes, the teachings of Jesus are very significant and relevant to our quest. It is true that denominations explain the significance of Jesus death and resurrection in different ways. There are literally dozens of atonement theories to this effect. This is not the central issue, though. Orthodox Christians reckon that if one repents and makes a commitment to follow Jesus, their life on Earth will transform through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. More importantly, they are assured eternal life in a new Heaven and new Earth. This promises an existence beyond anything that we can think and imagine. We could call this the dragonfly promise. Sounds great, doesn’t it? But what’s the catch?

If the Christian tradition was not dominant in the West for millennia, most people probably would respond, “Great, good for you,” and go their way without further thought. This is not the case, and as a result, Christianity has experienced four to five-hundred years of close scrutiny. Some of this is deserved. Supposed followers often behave badly, then and now. So, in our postmodern era, as the teachings of Jesus rapidly loses favor, the accusations are becoming more intense. Toughest skeptics ironically often come from former believers who are survivors of hurt inflicted on them by those whom they trusted.

The basics of the Gospel as summarized above raise issues that need answering. One that is at the forefront alleges that Christianity is exclusive and unfair. Consider the following difficult questions frequently asked. “What happens to infants who die before they have a chance to choose?” “What about those who never heard the Good News message?” “How about those who lived before Jesus?” “Why should Christians who supported the Holocaust be rewarded, and the tortured Jews be eternally punished?” “What about pioneer militias that went out and massacred innocent Indian women and children?” These are all fair questions. Modern technology prevents us from ignoring them by isolating ourselves in small subgroups. Bad answers give skeptics reason to discount the faith entirely. Crummy explanations mixed with anger and judgment give those with doubts permission to walk away.

Christians have always struggled when an infant dies unexpectantly. It doesn’t help to hear someone dogmatically claim that such a child was evil from birth. A grieving parent hearing this are told that their child will experience judgment because they were not innocent. This is an example of a terrible answer. Cruel things said does not represent the faith as a whole, however. Christians need to be equipped to counteract harmful positions that cause much hurt.

When it comes to infant mortality many Christians suppose an age of accountability. This means that children are spared judgment if they are too young to distinguish between good and evil. It is a nice try, but unfortunately, there are problems with this explanation. First, it cannot be backed up by either the Old or New Testaments. This means it is a hope, not something that we can rely on. A second more serious problem is this: if there is an age of accountability, then abortion is a good thing. All of the late-term aborted babies will be accepted, whereas if they grew to adulthood, some might not. There has to be a better solution that also aligns with scripture.

Let’s consider the applicable verses.

John 14:6 I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, except through Me.

Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

These verses fly in the face of the premise that all paths lead to God, and at first glance, they seem very exclusive, even wrong. A cursory reading suggests that all those who never heard the Christian gospel are destined for judgment. Those who suffered atrocities committed by Christians have no hope. It is bad news for people who live good lives and sincerely hold other beliefs. At the same time, many who accept Jesus as their savior, but live horrible lives get a free pass. If true, the Christian tradition is in deep trouble.

Is there a better answer? I think there is. Christians believe that Jesus is God. They maintain that Jesus and the Father God are good. Finally, they assert that judgement will be just and fair and no one will have an excuse. These characteristics of the creator provides a clue. Jesus, as God, is the gatekeeper. He is the judge. He will set things right and he will do it perfectly. Whoever he recognizes as his sheep will be accepted. Those who he doesn’t recognize will be excluded (in New Testament terminology, they will be cast to outer darkness). Some who think they are safe will be rejected and others who have no clue will be welcomed (Matt 25).

What this means to me is that although all paths do not lead to God, Jesus can freely travel down any of those paths and pull some to himself. It is up to him to decide when and how he will do this. I am confident that he will accomplish his purposes in a fair way.

When a skeptic asks me about whether the innocent will be destined for judgement, my experience informs me that they are determining what kind of person I am. In other words, am I willing to condemn them? My answer determines whether any future relationship is possible, and a dogmatic harsh answer will be the end of it. Yet, I need not take the bait. I can explain the goodness of God, and the importance of Jesus’ sacrifice. But I can be clear that my personal beliefs have no part in who will or will not be part of the new Heaven and new Earth. In the end, it is all up to Jesus. He is the gatekeeper. I leave it to him. This takes the charge of Christianity being unfair off the table, and eliminates the perception that I go around condemning people to a hell.

I trust that as a Christian, I’ve illustrated that there are good and rational answers that are available to difficult questions that arise. The Christian Bible leaves room for God to act outside the limits of the certainties of our doctrines. For this I am glad. Dogmas inflicted on others can sicken our soul and at the same time turn off those whom we want to reach.

Thanks for listening, Dan Harvey, author of Wrestling with Faith, http://www.secondlooknow.com
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Life after Death

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