February 6th, 2025

By the Way: A Thought about Dying

By Pastor Roland Weisbrot on January 25, 2025.

I recently finished an intensive two-week course on dying and death.

Not exactly an easy topic, but an important one, nonetheless. Death is, after all, as certain as taxes, as the famous Benjamin Franklin quip goes.

As a pastor, I have been invited to journey with many people during their last days on this earth and to lead the funeral service after their departure. This has given me the unique opportunity to learn quite a bit about the nature of both dying and death.

From this, I have drawn a few insights.

First, money, possessions, titles, and whatnot-or lack thereof-simply do not matter upon a person’s deathbed. I have never once heard someone say to me as they were dying that they wished they had spent more time at work or bought a jet ski, for example.

Rather, what ends up being most important is family and friends and the love shared with them.

When your time comes, you want to be the person surrounded by people who love you, not the person alone with countless regrets and a trail of broken relationships behind you.

Second, although much of our modern culture does not know what to do with it, the act of dying is actually a rather sacred time.

It is by no means an easy time for either the person dying or their loved ones, but there is something about dying that allows people to reflect on their lives in profound ways and share truly special memories and insights with those willing to sit with them and listen.

Therefore, make yourself available to your loved ones and friends who are dying, as hard as that may be-because if you avoid them, you are missing out on potential blessings, and perhaps even some forgiveness and closure.

Pastor Roland Weisbrot is the Lead Pastor of Victory Lutheran Church

Share this story:

12
-11
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments