We need to talk about death.
Saying that might seem strange. Hasn’t death dominated our conversations, our thoughts for months now? Aren’t we still speaking of the deaths of black bodies like George Floyd’s? Doesn’t the news speak daily of those taken by this virus? Yes, but…
We’ve been talking about the dead, not about death.
Mind you, I don’t think we’ve talked enough about the dead. This country needs a period of national mourning for the dead. We are desperately in need of a pause, a moment when bells are rung, silence is kept, and the weight of the lives lost are allowed to settle heavily on our hearts and souls. We need this for our emotional, psychological, and spiritual health.
But talking about the dead is not talking about death.
Death is a reality, one of the most real things in our lives. It is the cold, unforgiving moment that comes for each and every one of us. No matter our profession, our wealth, our position we will one day be overtaken by death.
Yet, we deny death.
As a nation, we have done nothing better this year than deny this reality. Why else would anyone dare to state that the risks of this disease are acceptable for the poor, the service-industry workers, our elders, or our children? Why else would you refuse to keep a safe distance from those around you on the off chance that you or they might carry this virus?
Why else would you not wear a mask when you go out among people?
As Christians, it is part of our sacred calling to speak of death; because, it is part of our central story. God incarnate was killed and overcame death. The love that unites us, that changes us, that flows through us is the love that conquered death. It is why Paul declared that death no more has lordship over Christ.
Death, we claim, has been conquered.
This does not mean that facing it is easy. This does not mean that we are not left empty and aching when someone we love dearly dies. We know it is not easy. We know it is frightening. We know it is painful.
And so we speak of death.
We say again and again these harsh realities; because, there are those who serve death. They do so in the hopes that they might not face death.
Death’s servants offer others as sacrifice so they may be saved.
Death is the price of doing business, they claim. Death is the price of educating our children, they say. Death is something we just need to learn to live with.
We, then, must speak honestly of death.
We need to tell the story of death defeated, the love that was not conquered. We must speak of the reality of death, which comes for all. We must speak against those who offer sacrifices to this false lord.
And we really must wear masks.