The words are almost synonymous.  Mystery is something hidden, and wonder is wanting it to be revealed.  Wonder can also be a state of awe at the mystery itself.

I’m reading a mystery novel.  I wonder who the murderer is.

How many other populated planets are out there is a mystery, known only to God.  I look up into the clear night sky and wonder.

What do you wonder about?  How much of your wonderment is divided between this life and a spiritual life, or the next life?  It would be hard to imagine a human being who never questioned the meaning of life or thought about what happens after death.

I’ve met people over the years who appear to have a genuine connection with God.  And we’ve all heard stories of near-death experiences that seem so real.  Is it just our minds accommodating the need for addressing what can’t be explained, or is there more than this life?

Why does God use an almost clandestine approach to communicating with us in the here and now?  We have the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament Jesus.  Isn’t that enough?

I am impressed by the mysteries of our ecosystem and the magnificence of our solar system.  I would have great difficulty believing that it all just happened.

And then there’s hope.  A person who is healthy and wealthy, or who lives in peace and security tends to live for the day.  Those that have experienced sickness, who have witnessed a death or have been exposed to the cruelty of man are more likely to hope for tomorrow.  Can the self-made man hope?

It’s a mystery that we even wonder.

On June 2, 1897 Mark Twain wrote, “The report of my death was an exaggeration.”

Benjamin Franklin said, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

The Bible says, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement.”

No matter where we look death is in the air.  Many people have experienced the death of someone close to them.  The rest of mankind are reminded of death in the news or when passing by an accident or cemetery. With death facing us on all sides, one would wonder why we fear it so.  Perhaps it can be summed up in the fact that, while we think we know, or we hope we know, what really happens after death, we just don’t know.

My wife and I are volunteers at the hospice center of our local hospital.  Hospice is the palliative care of patients who have been given less than six months to live.  Lois provides patient care and maintains the kitchen at the Hospice House, and I work on the computer to set up bereavement care.  This particular hospice program extends 12 months of follow-up care after the death of a loved one.

By the time they are brought into the facility, most patients are at a point where they are accepting of their upcoming passage from this life.  In our training we were told of many interesting encounters where the patient would see someone who wasn’t in the room just before their death.  Lois witnessed this with my own father when she was at his bedside when he died (I was working in another state at the time).  The clinical explanation is that the neurotransmitters are shutting down, and the brain is preparing us for the end.  But you couldn’t sell that line to most hospice nurses.

We all witness death as it is.

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My neighbor’s mother died unexpectedly recently.  I don’t know the actual cause of death, but I knew that she was in a lot of pain from arthritis, neuropathy and persistent back pain.  Pain doesn’t kill, so how did she die?  Her son believed that she might have had a stroke during the night (she lived alone). That may be so, or she may have just given up.  Physical or mental circumstances can bring us to the point where we feel that we can no longer continue in this life.

Following death most cultures have a ritual in which the living gather to “pay their respects.”  I’m not sure what that really means.  Are they respecting the dead, or are they respecting the family, by showing up at the funeral?  A lot of people who go to funerals have had little or no contact with the deceased.  So what should happen in this 30 minutes to one hour gathering?

I’ll tell you what happened at this one.  There were two preachers:  one, a neighbor who ministers at a local church; the other a minister from a nearby town, and he also happened to be the deceased’s brother-in-law.

Here in the Bible Belt it’s not unusual to get gospel messages delivered at funerals.  This one was no different.  By gospel message I mean:  you’re a sinner; Jesus/God loves you; Jesus died for you; accept him and go to heaven; reject him and you go to hell.

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SIGN IN A MALL: I want to ice fish . . . as soon as I’m done beating cancer.

The phrase accompanies a picture of an elderly man, wearing a fur cap, holding up a fish. The purpose of the ad is to promote a local cancer center at the hospital.

I look at it and wonder if the old man is still alive. Did he beat the cancer? Or was he just a model, posing for the photo shoot, having nothing more than a few arthritic aches and pains? Patient or model, from age alone, are in the twilight years of their lives, disease being the main indicator of how many days they have left.

Cancer is from a Latin word for “crab.” The Greek physicians likened the crab’s appearance to a tumor with swollen veins. The astrological sign Cancer seems to also take its cue from the crab, meaning hard or tough, like the crab’s shell, indicating a personality that was determined or resolute.

We usually see cancer as all bad news, a destroying of life. And life is what we’re here for. Unlike other diseases that can strike quickly and hasten death, cancer can develop unseen for long periods, then proceed to kill with great suffering beforehand.

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Love and Death make us all children — Can old age be an evil thing, which does the same?

George MacDonald

Childhood is among the most precious gifts that God has given us. It is a period of trust, a time of experiencing and exploring new things, and a sense of security without even realizing it. In Western society the children grow up too quickly. With constant exposure to television and adult drama played out in the home, children begin to imitate, to mimic adult behavior, whether it be good or bad.

Before long the child begins to desire those privileges and responsibilities that only an adult can “enjoy.” Oh, to remain a child for a bit longer! One of the most amazing abilities of the human mind is to remain young and healthy while abiding in frail or broken bodies. While asleep, the crippled dream of walking, the blind dream of seeing, and the elderly dream of bygone days of youth.

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Being older has its ups and downs. I will be eligible for early social security income this year, but it’s not like I have one foot in the grave. For one thing, having grandchildren is God’s way of saying, “Thanks for sticking around.” Also seeing your children display some of your traits is both heartwarming and scary.

Running out of breath while I’m down there tying my shoes is a little annoying, and looking at something on the bottom shelf at Walmart, then having to find another shelf that will support you while pulling yourself up is embarrassing. But all in all, life is good. My mind is younger than ever; it’s where I live a lot of time these days.

There are a lot of people, however, young and old, who are just not at home with themselves.

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I’m using my imagination here.  So if you expect me to prove my points with scriptural references or quotes from respected Bible scholars, you will be disappointed.  If, however, you will join me in speculating on what might happen after death, you may be surprised how much God will use your own imagination as you focus on his love and your sanctification.

Rather than asking what happens after death, what if we considered what should happen after death.  I know, we must be careful not to act like little gods.  One ground rule should be that we are ever conscious of the fact that God is always present; therefore, we are imagining how He would orchestrate this journey that we’re on, especially that portion of the journey following our last breath in this mortal existence.

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Most people would agree that we seem to be on a journey in this life.  The old gospel song, Life Is Like A Mountain Railroad, gives the image of our trip “from the cradle to the grave.”  Being conscious of the concept of time, we see the world around us changing, ourselves and our families aging, and have encountered numerous births and funerals over our lifetime.  We who are seniors look back and wonder where the time went, wishing, at times, for some do-overs.

In various religious circles a perfecting process is recognized.  Through our encounter with God we see where we have failed and where we need to improve.  Some often can see a clear progression in themselves and others.  But we also can see those who seem to be moving backwards; their bodies are aging, but their minds are deteriorating, as evidenced by their behavior.  What should be obvious, however, is that a great many exit this life as “unfinished business.”

I believe that we were all created by God, and that there is no one accurate, true religion.

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