Living and Dying with Hope
Oct 29, 2021 09:31AM ● By Dr. Eric Hankins
During my 30 years in ministry, I’ve seen great advancements in the care of those who are approaching death. Tremendous strides have been made in palliative and hospice services. Social workers are more gifted at dealing with the various family, legal and financial details that confront people as the passing of a loved one approaches. Psychologists and counselors have an ever-growing grasp of the mental, emotional and relational dynamics of grief and dying. But there is one critical aspect of “dying well” that must not be neglected: hope. Without hope, no matter how careful and strategic our planning, death can ultimately be met with fear and defeat. When I visit with people who know that the end of their physical lives is approaching, there is one issue on their minds that rises above all others: What happens next?
The best answer to that question is not one delivered through the latest developments in medicine, psychiatry or philosophy. Rather, it is quite ancient, and it has stood the test of time. In the Bible, in the letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul is answering some concerns about what happens after death. Here’s what he says,
“But we do not want you to be uninformed about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have died. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-16 NRSV)
Dr. Eric Hankins, Ph.D., is pastor at First Baptist Church of Fairhope, 300 S. Section St., Fairhope, AL. For more information, call 251-928-8685 or visit FirstFairhope.com.
