Sudden Death

“You and I hear of sudden deaths and yet we imagine we shall not die suddenly.” – C.H. Spurgeon.

Death by Many Names

There are many euphemisms for death:

To pass away, pass on, lose one’s life, breathe one’s last, meet one’s end, meet one’s death, lay down one’s life, go the way of all flesh, go to one’s last resting place, go to meet one’s maker, cross the great divide, slip away, depart this life, give up the ghost, kick the bucket, croak, buy it, turn up one’s toes, cash in one’s chips, bite the big one, check out, buy the farm, blink for an exceptionally long period…..

Death by Fear of Death

It is ironic that we live life as if death is too far away, yet it is the most certain thing that we are sure will come to us; just a matter of time. It could be tomorrow or 67 years from tomorrow, but death is more certain than taxes.

And the fear of death paralyzes. Although young people may not be worried about dying a slow painful death due to multiple organ failure at the age of 97 years, they are very conscious of the fact that they can die at any moment in a way that they may not anticipate.

It could be a terrorist attack, a blood clot, a road accident, a violent robbery, or even an attack by wild animals. I have seen great people meet their sudden deaths in such incidences. My college classmate was stabbed to death. Two high school classmates have died in the hands of Al Shabaab.  Two primary schoolmates died in an air crash. A close friend in campus perished in a road accident while another dear friend suffered a blood clot and was gone in a short time. I have heard of somebody who was stung to death by bees.

Why we Fear Sudden Death

Even non-sudden death is not amusing. If someone dies at 102 years, we still mourn them and feel the emptiness that comes with it if we were close to them. But a sudden death has zero warnings and hits harder.

We are afraid of what will become of our families. We are worried about how death will occur. We are afraid of so many things. I do not think anybody gets worried about what they will miss once they are gone, but just the emptiness and nothingness of being no more.

As human beings, we are usually not ready for death.

We are also afraid of death because we rarely see death in life. A few years ago, life expectancy was very short and anybody who lived to be 40 years old had witnessed so many deaths. It is estimated that the life expectancy was around 30 years in the year 1800. Today, modern medicine and other factors have made death rare.

Now that You will eventually Die…

You need to make sense of the life that you are living so that when death comes, you will be set. Ask yourself these questions, because tomorrow it might be you.

1. What’s your origin? Understanding how we got here will help us put our life in a way that is consistent with our origin. Were you created by a divine being? Are you a product of a random thoughtless gathering of atoms? Are you a former goat that got a second chance in life?
2. The meaning of life. Where do you derive this from? What’s your purpose here on earth? Are you here to accomplish something, or simply exist with no objective? Do toys, education, and money you acquire in life all work together towards a certain end?
3. What informs your moral values? Is evil, stealing, murder, corruption, and all vices acceptable, or there is a fixed code of conduct that we must adhere to?
4. What is your destiny? When you die, will something follow after that, or you will rot and that will mark a cold end, brutal end?

A thousand Deaths

As Shakespeare said, ‘Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once.’ Be brave and ask yourself those questions.

P.S

Do you think chickens have a fear of sudden death?