On Life 133 – The Visitor – July 9, 2016

   Not all people welcome that visitor. In fact, most of them would not receive him. They would even try to forget him by concentrating on their business to convince themselves that he has gone and would never meet them. On the other hand, some keep reminding themselves of his presence and get ready to meet him. Guess who the visitor is! It is death.

   However, death remains a mystery. Though everybody tries to solve this mystery using a variety of scientific techniques, or clarify it, the death remains enigmatic. Nobody can solve the mystery except those who experienced it. Yet, even those who were said to have died and come back to life gave unbelievable accounts. Adding on, their accounts would make the listeners more puzzled than ever.

   Our concern, however, is not to unravel the mystery of death, but to prepare ourselves to meet it fearlessly. This is achieved through the following steps:

   First: Death should not be severed from resurrection, for it is but a bridge that connects two different lives. One of them is an earthly life in which man has a material body that continues to carry the signs of time, such as weakness and ageing. It is affected by pain, sadness, heat and coldness. The other body is heavenly. It never gets tired or sick. It is never affected by material factors. Thus, we cannot say that death is the only visitor: for this is not the whole truth. The whole truth is that death is a pathway to eternal life.

   Second: Death is a temporary separation. Soon or later, humanity, from the four corners of earth and all eras, will assemble. You might meet people whom you read about and loved without having met them beforehand!

   Third: You need to get ready for the resurrection of the righteous who will live in eternal bliss. On the other hand, the wicked will live in eternal torture. This latter is the death which you should flee from.

   Fourth: As you get ready, prepare what sustains you in the hereafter. You are not allowed to carry your money, treasures, authority, talents or certificates. Nor will your friends or loved ones accompany you. You will only be allowed to carry your deeds in which you used all these things. Someone once said that God will not ask you about the brand of your car. Rather, He will ask you about the people you gave a lift when they found nothing to ride.

   He will not ask you about the size of your house. He will ask you about the people you hosted lovingly. Neither would He ask you about the number of clothes you had. He will ask you about the number of people you dressed.

   He will not ask you about your salary, but about the way you spent it, and if you helped a poor or a needy person.

   He will not ask you how many friends you had, but about your loyalty to them. He will not ask you about your post, but if you were doing a good job.

   He will not ask you about your neighborhood, but what type of person you were.

   He will not ask you about the color of your complexion, but about the way you looked at others.

General Bishop

Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center