Death

The beginning of the end or the end of the beginning?

The way a person views death reflects how a person views life. If death is the end of existence, then we should eat, drink and be merry. We should avoid thinking of death by embracing pleasures. For people with this view, death is a fearful end to the familiar. It is an unpleasant topic.

If death is a door to another life, then this life is more than a brief existence. For people with this view, death is the beginning of a new life. Consciousness extends beyond this physical world. If this life has some bearing upon the next, then it has purpose and meaning. This is a popular belief throughout human history. It is the reason that most religions are defined by rules for moral living.

However, even among religious people, death is generally feared. Death is still the end of what is familiar. It is the beginning of a journey into the unknown. Religious people may have some general ideas about what to expect after death, but nobody knows exactly what happens. Religious people believe in a holy God (or at least some sort of judgment process). There is fear about being judged and punished for doing bad things. Everyone has failed many times and in many ways to live up to moral standards set by society and religions. There is uncertainty in knowing whether good deeds will cancel or outweigh the bad.

There are some religious people who do not (or should not) fear death. Those who are born-again through faith in Jesus Christ have their sins forgiven. They are holy and God will change them into glorious beings like Jesus. Life after death for these people does not depend upon keeping rules, doing good works, or performing religious practices. A wonderful life after death is guaranteed because of the works of Jesus and the faithfulness of God to keep his promises.

If you have faith, you do not have a reason to fear. The matter of death and eternal life have been settled. Born-again Christians believe the Bible to be the words of God. The Bible teaches that the forgiveness of sins and a glorious relationship with God are gifts given to those God chooses. Therefore, all glory, honor and praise are due to God alone for salvation and eternal life are works of God.

The dwarves in Hadrian’s Keep are like born-again Christians. They have studied the written words of their Creator in sacred books like The Past and Future King. They have faith in the truths revealed in these books. Some of the dwarves, like Behlin, have dedicated their lives to searching for deeper truths in these books. He is like Christian theologians such as Augustine, Luther and Calvin, who discover truths that further our understanding of God and ourselves. Behlin has received knowledge that he will not die until he has seen the revelation of the first of the Sons of Light. This is like Annanias in the Bible. God promised him that he would live to see baby Jesus, the Messiah.

Too often the funerals of born-again Christians are sorrowful and too much like those of others. The sorrow for the loss of relationships with loved ones should be present. However, the joy in knowing that the loved one is living a much better life with Jesus should be the greater emotion. Death should be a time to recall good deeds and memories. This is seen in the dwarf funeral custom called the Walstrum. Every dwarf who was blessed by knowing Behlin is given a public opportunity to share them. In this way, Behlin is honored. Love and thanksgiving are expressed. As the moment of death approaches, the dwarves gather to worship with songs of thanksgiving and praise to the Creator. The presence of the Creator is evident in Tom’s glowing seeing stone. Their worship culminates in a brilliant flash of light that knocks everyone down. Everyone is peaceful and blissfully still in the afterglow. When Tom opens his eyes, he looks into the face of Behlin lying next to him. It is only after several minutes that he realizes that Behlin is dead.

Behlin dedicated his life to studying and teaching the truths contained in The Past and Future King as well as other sacred books. He was never able to translate the ancient symbols on the great slab of rock in the library of Hadrian’s Keep. It is fitting and ironic that the Creator begins to reveal the meaning of these ancient symbols at the moment of Behlin’s death. Sometimes great lessons and truths are learned through the deaths of great people. ?This is certainly true of the death of Jesus who showed us that we need a savior to pay for our sins so that we can be declared righteous and dwell with God.