We All Go to the Same Box

I. Opening Prayer………….……………………… Pastor Alan Dionson

Father in Heaven, you are our Creator. You are the author of life. Life is a precious gift. We come today to commemorate and honor a life that is precious to us. As we mourn this life that is no longer with us, we are aching from a void that has been created in our heart.

We lift up our sadness and grief to you. Lord, we ask that you comfort us in our pain, and bring us an abundance of your gentle healing mercies. This we pray…Amen.

Ecclesiastes 8:1-3

1 So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God's hands, but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him. 2 All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.

As it is with the good man, so with the sinner. As it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them. 3 This is the reality in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all.

The passage tells us that death is a certainty of life

We cannot cancel it or postpone it. Everyday 160,000 people die.

Sometimes the pain, the loss and grief that come with it evade the certainty of death.

We don’t like to use the word death and instead we use words like, “went to be with the Lord,” “got promoted in heaven,” “in a better place” and “enjoying their rewards.” While these words are true—all of these occurred because of death.

The young, the middle-aged, the elderly-- face the same destiny. The rich, the poor—have the same fate. The healthy or the unhealthy all share the same destiny. An Old Italian proverb says, “When the chess game is over, the pawns, the rooks, the kings, the queens, all go back into the same box.”

Death is the great equalizer. It levels everyone no matter what status, titles or accomplishments one may have. As Qo Heleth, the teacher in this passage says…this is the reality that overtakes us all.

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross—the doctor and author who gave us the different stages of grief says that along with the different stages of life that

begins from conception, birth, childhood and adulthood, death is the final growth of life.

It seems we can agree the different stages as mentioned, however, when it comes to death—we either deny it or evade it.

Why do we fear death so much?

There are several reasons, let me share a few of them. Firstly, death could be painful. Pain and suffering due to an illness. Pain due to an accident. Pain due to a crime that leads to death. Death brings separation for those who are living and those who are no longer with us. The pain of missing someone as we anticipate the holidays and major milestones in our lives.

Secondly, death could usher someone into the unknown. I remember watching Barbara Walters’ interview of Patrick Swayze who was suffering from cancer about how prepared he was about his imminent passing. He answered, “I don’t know…I have not been to the other side.”

Moving on, we fear death because of its negative outcomes. What will happen to my spouse, children, business, properties, unfulfilled dreams,

Will the people close to me survive when I’m gone?

Finally, death brings this idea of non-existence. Prominent among those anxieties is the fear of ceasing to exist. The fear that death is the finality of everything ushers more fear to many people.

Although death is commonly feared—the Bible views death as something not to be feared about.

God removes the pain in death.

“For me to live is Christ—and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21). To a child of God, death is not losing and having life is about winning. It is not a win-loss cared but according to apostle Paul, it is a win-win card. Living is great as it is well lived in Christ, but to die is even better as we live it fully with Him pain-free, worry-free and a place of eternal peace.

God removes the unknown in death.

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)

The best illustration of this assurance is the story of one of the thieves on the cross who begged for mercy and forgiveness knowing an unknown destiny awaits him in bottomless abyss. Jesus replied to him, “Today, you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:33) It assures him of the time: today. An assurance of His presence: you will be with me. And an assurance of his destiny: Paradise.

God removes the negative consequence of death

St. Paul again assures us of this promise, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” (1 Thessalonians 4:14-15) The reality is that Jesus died and resurrected is also a reality that we can be confident to receive that we too shall be like him in death and in his resurrection.

God removes the non-existence after death

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” I saw the Holy City, coming down out of heaven from God, 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”5 (Rev. 22:1-5)

I pray that these promises will help us feel the comfort of God. I want to remember Kuya Sam exactly as what God has promised his children to receive: God removing the pain of death. God removing the unknown in death, God removing the negative outcome of death and God giving us eternality after death.

No one could have said it better than Kuya Sam who wrote for us, “I will be back to my childhood, curled in fetal position before His Majesty, awaiting His loving embrace and acceptance for my imperfection through His grace. My body then returns to dust and is reduced to dust, the dust I came from. My soul journeys to the Light.”

May God comfort us with these words. Amen.

II. BENEDICTION

Before we go our separate ways, let us remember Kuya Sam. May our farewell express our affection for him, his family, his friends. May it ease our sadness and strengthen our hope. One day we shall joyfully greet him again when the love of Christ, which conquers all things, destroys even death itself.

I will pray the benediction to be followed by a closing song, Kuya Sam has requested when this day would come.

“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. Amen.

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.