“I’m a little afraid of dying, because it’s the ultimate unknown,” she said. “We don’t really know what’s next—or is there nothing? That’s the scary part.” The above quote is from today's essay at the Free Press. I cannot recommend it- it is brutally painful to read. Those of us who track such things have been concerned with a startling uptick in assisted suicide, or what is called “medical aid in dying”. Canada, especially, has provided
Thank you for sharing this reflection. As a Christian and palliative care physician, I see patients, families, and colleagues struggle in all sorts of ways to pursue health amidst our technological age. The technological tail wags the dog of faith before, during, and after crises.
How will I behave when I find myself in unremitting pain or shortness of breath? I don’t know. It’s a humbling question to ask that makes me acknowledge that I have limits that might break convictions formed when I’m comfortable. I do hope I can remain within a community that can continue to bear me in faith though. Like the friends who brought the paralyzed man to Jesus.
I followed the link 'Christian Hope', to your essay on Comment about our hope in life, and what the next life will be like. I strongly recommend this article to those who read this post. It provides a helpful framework for thinking about the ethical issues surrounding death and euthanasia, to know what our hope, in the gospel, truly is.
I also find this reflection, helpful, having spent much of my life in medicine, as a research scientist. But I recomment the link to your article on heaven, very uplifting. In spite of how little we're told about the next life in God's Word.
At 71, my wife and I have had very full discussions, and were blessed by an attorney who worked for a Trust department, who offered a class to seniors in our church, that covered the bases about the various decisions and challenges we may face, the documents we can prepare to help guide decisions made, should we not be fully capable of communicating them, at some future point. We all know that as we grow older, we will experience some health issues and decline of our mental faculties. We have been able to think things through, and make decisions about the technological choices we may face and the legal issues surrounding them, so that someone else won't have to second guess them for us or be forced to grapple with difficult issues when they are under the constraint our health struggles may bring on them..
As those who 'believe in Jesus', we have hope for eternity, through a relationship that begins in this life. The only thing we take into the next life, are the relationships we've made here. We know from Jesus comments about marriage, that our relationships will be transformed in the next life; though we don't really know much about it as John states in his first letter:
"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 1 John 3:1-3"
We don't know as yet, 'what we will be'. We simply know that we will be like Him... because we will see him just as He is.
Thanks, Kirsten, for this reminder, and the framework of our future in heaven, that you share in the linked article. The hope we have, gives us a framework for thinking through the solemn ethical challenge euthanasia represents.
Thank you for sharing this reflection. As a Christian and palliative care physician, I see patients, families, and colleagues struggle in all sorts of ways to pursue health amidst our technological age. The technological tail wags the dog of faith before, during, and after crises.
How will I behave when I find myself in unremitting pain or shortness of breath? I don’t know. It’s a humbling question to ask that makes me acknowledge that I have limits that might break convictions formed when I’m comfortable. I do hope I can remain within a community that can continue to bear me in faith though. Like the friends who brought the paralyzed man to Jesus.
I followed the link 'Christian Hope', to your essay on Comment about our hope in life, and what the next life will be like. I strongly recommend this article to those who read this post. It provides a helpful framework for thinking about the ethical issues surrounding death and euthanasia, to know what our hope, in the gospel, truly is.
I also find this reflection, helpful, having spent much of my life in medicine, as a research scientist. But I recomment the link to your article on heaven, very uplifting. In spite of how little we're told about the next life in God's Word.
At 71, my wife and I have had very full discussions, and were blessed by an attorney who worked for a Trust department, who offered a class to seniors in our church, that covered the bases about the various decisions and challenges we may face, the documents we can prepare to help guide decisions made, should we not be fully capable of communicating them, at some future point. We all know that as we grow older, we will experience some health issues and decline of our mental faculties. We have been able to think things through, and make decisions about the technological choices we may face and the legal issues surrounding them, so that someone else won't have to second guess them for us or be forced to grapple with difficult issues when they are under the constraint our health struggles may bring on them..
As those who 'believe in Jesus', we have hope for eternity, through a relationship that begins in this life. The only thing we take into the next life, are the relationships we've made here. We know from Jesus comments about marriage, that our relationships will be transformed in the next life; though we don't really know much about it as John states in his first letter:
"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 1 John 3:1-3"
We don't know as yet, 'what we will be'. We simply know that we will be like Him... because we will see him just as He is.
Thanks, Kirsten, for this reminder, and the framework of our future in heaven, that you share in the linked article. The hope we have, gives us a framework for thinking through the solemn ethical challenge euthanasia represents.
Bill