How do we decide what to do? What do we do in a time of Covid when a loved one becomes deathly ill? What should we do when someone in the family has a massive stroke? How do we deal with grievous injuries?
There are often no clear answers. A decision can sometimes be seen as both good and bad, depending on perspective. Such is the challenge this side of the Fall in Genesis three.
There are a few guideposts that one might consider.
A question I sometimes ask is this, “Are we prolonging the living, or prolonging the dying?” Sometimes this line is not clear. Other times, the answer is obvious.
Another way to look at the issues is to remember that our parents, children, and spouse are our closest neighbor. If in the same situation, “What would I hope people would choose for me?”
Similarly, we may ask, “What might I choose for myself?”
The least useful response is to put guilt trips on people trying to make hard decisions for those whom they love.
We reject euthanasia as playing God, but this is different from letting someone go.
Our time, our hour, comes for us all - unless Jesus’ Second Coming comes first.
Suffering is part of life. We see this in the cross of Jesus. We find comfort in knowing that God become man suffers with us and for us. We look forward to when we will rise as He is risen. Yet, while we are in this world, suffering is real. We need to acknowledge this reality.
This is one reason I prefer very traditional funerals. They don’t memorialize or eulogize. They announce resurrection hope. Death is real. Death is the last enemy, but death is overcome in Jesus. The traditional funeral looks not back to our lives, but forward to what has been won for us in the cross and resurrection of Jesus.
(Editor’s Note: This column is written by a different Littlefield pastor for the Leader-News each week. The columns are published on this page on Wednesdays.)