More On Life and Death

Benedicamus Domino!

Yesterday, I spoke about the differences between how I view death currently as a Christian and how I viewed it as a Pagan. As I stated then, I developed a fascination with the question of whether there is life after death relatively early in my life. This was coupled with a fascination with psychic phenomena and other paranormal things, and to speak the truth, I am still fascinated with all of this stuff to some extent. Are there other senses available to us than the usual five? Does the unseen world of spiritual things ever impinge upon our visible and tangible world? In Christian belief, the answer to both of these questions is a resounding "yes."

We believe that there is a mode of perception by which we can come to know God, and that this is a kind of spiritual sight. This kind of spiritual sight is a function of what is termed in Greek the 'nous' and is sometimes translated into English as 'the spiritual eye' or 'the intellect.' Another function of this noetic vision is to perceive the existence of unseen spirits in and around us: angels and demons generally.

So, if we all have this inner sight, then why are we not regularly able to perceive God's presence or the fact that we have guardian angels with us? Well, when man fell, our senses were scattered and isolated, and the 'nous' sort of fell asleep. I personally believe that there are some people born with a more awakened 'nous' than others, but this is just my own opinion. So, a part of our journey toward God is to clear away all the junk that gets in the way of the 'nous' and to allow it, little by little, to emerge. And what is the junk that gets in the way? Say it with me: the ego and its passions! Only a peaceful heart can access the 'nous,' and that can only come through a life of prayer and repentance. I do believe that in some people, the 'nous' functions beyond their control, but again, this is my own opinion.

So what does all this have to do with the question of life and death? Well, I believe that the 'nous' is the means of perception which is a part of the soul. However, it is intimately connected to the body while the body is alive, and so the body after death cannot simply be treated as a shell. In many cultures, the body is burned or drowned or buried, but it is perceived now as an empty husk which will never be anything but food for other life on earth.

We see it differently. For us, the body is indeed dead. In fact, many of the hymns of an Orthodox funeral have to do with the transience of life and the fact that the body is dead and will decay. In the East, there is a custom of reverencing the body by kissing it, since it is an icon of Christ, and some bodies of the saints are preserved as holy relics. However, there is no doubt that death is a real thing, a real thing that happens to a given body. Of course, as we discussed yesterday, this isn't the end of the story.

The truth of the matter is that for Christians, death, while being seen in all its reality, is not viewed as being a natural thing for humans as God created us. It only came as a result of the fall, in order that there might be a limit to how far we could fall. Still, we say that Christ came to abolish death and to herald the universal resurrection at the end of all things. So, while the death of the body is focused on during the funeral, there is also great hope for the soul. Prayers for its rest are offered, but there is always an eye to the new resurrection which will happen, in which corruption will put on incorruption, and mortal will put on immortality.

The idea of death not being a natural state for man came home to me once when I told a friend of mine, herself a Christian while I was not, that it seemed to me as though my fiance had died too soon. I expected her to say something about it being God's will, that the Lord would have taken him in His own good time, but instead, she said the last thing I would have expected: "Well, this is a fallen world, after all." In short, she acknowledged the imperfectness of the situation, and it was then that I realized that there was more to Christianity than what I had originally thought. It was a long time before I found myself being led back to Christ again, but I believe that that small comment was a seed planted in my soul.

So, what does all this have to do with a journey toward joy? Well, the fact is that 'joy,' as I've described it in this journal, is the fulfillment that comes with a communion with God, and while this can happen during this life, it becomes even more intimate after death, and even more dynamic in the renewal of creation which I believe will happen. So, joy is not mere happiness. This tends to depart rather quickly in life. Joy is something more abiding, and it goes beyond emotion. It is a kind of inner singing, a kind of certainty which is in the blood, the bone and the soul. I can say that I have experienced it, but only in very fleeting moments. However, I know that this is what will fulfill me, so I am continuing my journey for as long as I am granted to live upon this earth.

Deo Gratias!