Death be not proud...

I've just learnt of the sudden passing of one of my colleagues. In the announcement of his passing, the following was quoted:


Dehino ‘smin yatha dehekaumara yauvana jaratatha dehantara-praptirdhiras tatra na muhyati (Bhagavad gita, Chapter 2, Text 13)


Translated: “As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change”.

I thought that is quite a profound text. Death is not the end, merely a transition. ‪#‎DeathBeNotProud‬
I could not help but think of 1 Peter 4:12,13:


"12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.


13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world." (New Living Translation)


‪#‎ThinkItNotStrange‬


1 Corinthians 10: 13 also came rushing through my mind:


"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (New King James Version)


"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." (New Living Translation)


I cannot imagine what pain his family is going through - or will be going through "when the dust settles". Death is not an easy experience but it certainly is not a unique experience. I pray that his family will be comforted during this time.


Death be not proud...

Peace... love and all that good stuff!

As I write this I'm thinking of a brother of mine who I've just had an email conversation with - a very pleasant one... nothing spectacular, just pleasant and all the while I felt light - a lovely feeling. This got me thinking about someone else in my life right now who I'm not in a pleasant space with and the moment I thought of them I felt a heaviness in my body.

Emotions are interesting things, aren't they? The emotions and thoughts are in your head and soul and yet you're able to feel them in your body... amazing how God has connected our mind/ soul, body and spirit.

Thinking about how the Bible teaches us to "put on Christ" and how this will affect the fruits of our character. Things you do in your physical body like practice self-control; read the Bible and meditate on what it teaches; decide to act kindly and bite your tongue during an argument all have an impact on your inner man and infact, they are a pointer to what you are like inside... all connected.