Be Not Afraid

The ancient axiom is to write about what you know. The only thing I know with absolute certainty is that I am going to die. Such knowledge is touted as uniquely human. Whether or not it actually is doesn't really matter because Truth is universal whether perceived or not. The subject matter is, by definition, morbid. This, however, should not make it taboo. I contend that most of the ills which beset humankind result from denial of the inevitable which results in an apparent default to avoidance of death as a fearsome thing. This helps to explain why death as a form of punishment is so prevalent throughout the human record. In other words, it is apparently easier to be afraid of death than to cultivate an enlightened attitude toward it. We need to be more open about the fact that each and every one of us is going to die, to the hopeful end that from such discourse will arise a living faith capable of dispelling the fear.