Many of our fears are baseless, but some are an essential part of being human. German monk Anselm Gruen (1999) identifies such fears as the fear of loneliness, loss, and death, with the fear of death being the strongest. While everyone experiences this fear, for some, it can be overwhelmingly intense. It often confronts us during times of sickness, the death of loved ones, old age, or may quietly linger in the background.
So, when the fear of death stares us in the face, what should we do? Gruen suggests we engage in a dialogue with it. We must look our fear in the eye. By honestly confronting the fear of death, we can acknowledge our mortality and the reality that one day—any day—we will die. Can we sit with this fear, which is connected to all other fears, whether small or large? When we have reached the depths of our fear and spoken with it at length, "we may sense in the middle of it a deep peace" (Gruen, 1999). Peace can be found at the heart of fear, not by running away from it.
Fear invites us to embrace our fragile yet beautiful humanity. Once we accept our fragility and mortality, all our fears lose their sting, allowing us to live with freedom, peace, and joy.
Notes
Gruen, A. (1999). Heaven begins within you: Wisdom from the desert fathers. A Crossroad Book (p. 85).
Thank you, amazing how when confronted with the thought of death we can be saddened, but how great when the holy Spirit guides you away from that thought to trusting in Jesus. And rejoice with the living moment. Jesus brings peace. Great topic
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