27 & 28 Sep 2025 (Pastoral Page) DYING TO TALK ABOUT DEATH

by Asst Ps Elaine Ng

This September, I've been attending a weekly course with my father to write our autobiographies. Typically, our facilitator will ask us to do some reflection and exercises in the class to ease us into thinking about a topic so that we could then go home to write at least 2 pages on it which we would then read out to our small groups the following week. One such topic was on our thoughts and feelings about Death. Our facilitator, who is of a different faith, had never had a class full of only Christian participants before and was fascinated that we were excited and dying to talk about Death. With wide-eyed wonder, she told us that this was most unusual and unlike any other class she had facilitated before, where the topic of death was often what the participants found most difficult to talk about, let alone write about. She was thus enthused and curious to hear what we had to say and had written about Death.

Our facilitator’s astonishment was clear and obvious to all. It somehow emboldened the class to chime in with more responses with a certain kind of cheerful gusto. For me, my heart was full as through their sharing, I could see a common understanding that death is nothing to be feared because through Christ’s death, we all have the hope of eternal life, the hope of seeing Jesus, the hope of seeing loved ones who have gone before us and the hope of the end of suffering and pain.

In our midst, a few had close shaves with death or some might say “cheated” death, recovering from not just one bout of cancer or other illness, sometimes more. By God's grace, they live to tell of His healing grace. Some of us had long sufferingly journeyed through with such ones through their recovery and eventual death. Dying little deaths ourselves along the way and giving thanks for His sustaining grace as we look back. Others had experienced seemingly untimely loss of closed ones, even adolescent ones, with questions still unanswered yet trusting that God is sovereign. Death has reared its ugly head in many of our lives, in different ways and at different times. Needless to say, all would have felt varying degrees of sorrow, grief and loss. Yet, there was an overwhelming sentiment of a shared faith and gratitude that we will not be undone by death.

I was sharing my thoughts about attending the Death session with a few different people and felt encouraged to share about my reflections on it, aided with some of their thoughts as we discussed why our Christian response to death could be so different from other faiths and cultures. Would it surprise you that it’s because Death is central to the Gospel and our Christian faith? That we have so many visible and tangible reminders about Christ’s death and ours? Let’s take a look at how often we may think, read, sing and speak about death on our own or in community.

Daily = During your personal time of devotions (i.e. reading the Bible, prayer and adoration, etc)

Weekly = As we participate in a Worship Service or Small/Care Group meeting

Fortnightly = As we participate in the Holy Communion in our services

Monthly = As we recite a Creed together (usually the Apostles Creed or Nicene Creed)

Annually = As we remember Christ’s death on Good Friday and during baptism (usually twice a year)

The above are just a small effort to set out how often we may be talking about death in general, at least in our church context. It’s not a small amount of exposure and practice. Some even take to wearing a Cross around their neck which we know is a symbol of Christ’s death.

Death for us as Christians should not be a morbid or taboo topic. As the class showed me, it can be very life-giving as we think of what His death means for us while we still have breath and look forward to the glorious future and inheritance we have when we meet Jesus face to face. It could also be a great conversation starter or topic, at appropriate moments, that could make family and friends of other faiths curious and wonder what our faith leads us to believe about death. Who knows if it may open the door for you to share the Gospel, that Christ is our hope in life and death.

And we are raised with Him

Death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered

And we shall reign with Him

For He lives, Christ is risen from the dead

-  See What a Morning by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty