On Death

Literature class can be so bleak and depressing at times. I still remember the first day I stepped into Literature class. We started with John Keats' poems, as it was the syllabus for the first unit. The first few poems that we did were predominantly about death (or at least suggest elements to that effect). The atmosphere in the class was not much of an encouragement, as it was just as bleak. Now I am in my third semester and the first Literature class I had was also on a couple of poems, all of which the subject matters were death. This indeed can be so depressing. I feel like crying out, "What's with death? Is there nothing left to be talked about?!"

It is interesting to note people's preoccupation with death. Especially in Literature class, my notice is inevitably drawn to this preoccupation. Writers and poets deem it worthy to dedicate pages and pages of manuscript to this subject. Of course, the media has no less a role in highlighting this. Everyday news about deaths filled the paper. Sudden and cruel deaths turn the heads of many and these become sensational news to journalists. One fine example is the murder of young Ying Ying. What is so fascinating about 'DEATH'?

Death is a subject that frequently haunts the human mind. It is probably because what lies beyond death in an unknown. The mysteries that surround the word 'afterlife' becomes a ghost that haunts many. However, afterlife is not exactly an unknown as such. The Bible has said that, when you place your trust in Jesus and accept HIM as your personal Lord and saviour, your eternity is secured. John 17:3 says this: "Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." Hence, if we hold on to this promise, we will know that our eternity is secured, and that we will be spending it with God in paradise.

"Well then," you may ask, "why is it that many Christians are just as afraid to confront death?" I do not speak for everyone, but I believe that one of the reasons is because death puts an end to everything we have on earth; everything that we have worked so hard to achieve and to retain. Death is like a monster lurking in the dark, ever ready to pounce on its victim without any sign of warning, and very often, at a moment we least expect it to. All of a sudden, we find ourselves being uprooted from our comfort zone, uprooted from a place we call home, taken away from the people we call family. All that we had worked so hard to achieve suddenly becomes nothing more than the past. And above all, it does not give us time to finish up all that we had put off, and it does not give us time to mend the mistakes we made. It is scary...... very scary indeed!

I have personally come face-to-face with death before (or at least so I thought). I remember there was once when I suddenly had trouble breathing and felt that air was being drained out of my lungs. I was afraid. Very afraid. I thought I was going to die. Surprisingly, I did not fear for what lies after death (probably because of the sweet assurance that I will finally be seeing HIM), but all that ran through my mind were the things that I wanted to do but never got to doing it. What about all the plans I have for my seemingly bright future? What about my family? What the memories they have of me are going to be like? It was frightening indeed! Very frightening......

Death often becomes a dread because of its sudden nature. We are left with regrets, thinking about the things that we should have done, but never did. We hope to have just one more day, one more hour, one more minute, or just one more second will be sufficient. However, death waits for no man. It comes as and when it likes and there will be no retaliation on the part of its victims-- us. And we tremble helplessly in the presence of death.

There is nothing we can do to prevent death, nor can we delay its arrival (like how Air Asia delay the flights!), but there is one thing we can certainly do: Live everyday as though it is your last. Live your live without any regrets! Then death will not be a ghost nor will it be a dread. It will be a sweet trip of returning to your heavenly Father in paradise, and we will be ready when it comes. Finally, a word for a y'all: Carpe diem!

P.S.: Check out this song: "Live like you were dying" by Tim McGraw. It's one of my favourites!