Comment by Mark Walter on April 19, 2009 at 1:15am

Hello Dillon, 18. I am Mark, 58.

One day someone asked if I knew Jesus had died for my sins. "Yes, I do," I replied. "I think it is so awful that no one would take responsibility for their own sins... that everyone let him take all the blame. So, I have decided to take responsibility for my own sins, and am prepared to die for them at any time."

Comment by Sidian M.S. Jones on April 19, 2009 at 3:19am

Key word 'believe' Dillon.

Comment by Zijan on April 19, 2009 at 10:46am

When the Romans subsumed the teachings of Jesus, they moved to focusing on the historicity of Jesus, ie, he was crucified and then rose again in three days. The focus of Jesus and his disciples was something profoundly different:

"The kingdom of God is within you."

Comment by Mark Walter on April 19, 2009 at 12:00pm

Dillon - what is it about dying that you are afraid of?

I am a martial artist, and my art is Jiu Jitsu. That particular art was handed down from the Japanese Samurai; it was their hand-to-hand combat art, when they no longer had a sword to wield. The Samurai warriors have a rich history, much of captured in art and books. Military historians, for example, know that a great deal of their training focused on death.

'The Code of the Samurai', written in the 16th century, states, "One who is a samurai must before all things keep constantly in mind, by day and by night, from the morning when he takes up his chopsticks to eat his New Year's breakfast, to New Year's Eve night when he pays his yearly bills, the fact that he has to die. That is his chief business. If he is always mindful of this... he will avoid myriads of evils and adversities, keep himself free from disease and calamity and moreover enjoy a long life."

In my opinion, most of today's martial artists do not focus daily on death. That is a rare practice. But one day, years ago, when my teacher gave me the book cited above, he said, "I am not giving this book to any other student. I don't think anyone else would read it." His words were a bit of an ego charge for me, but ego or not, I started reading it.

When I completed reading these opening words, I stopped reading the book and decided to take its advice. I have thought about death every day since then. That practice has been very helpful. Among other things, it helps you better prioritize your life. But I am not going to suggest that this practice and this practice alone is sufficient to overcome the fear of death. It's not. There are other things we can investigate and study that will help us achieve acceptance of death.

I grew up Christian. The fact that I was 'saved' and now had the promise of eternal life did not do much to comfort me regarding death. That seems a bit strange, doesn't it?

I was told to simply have faith. Faith and a promise however, no matter how much I mustered up, didn't remove my uncertainty about death.Rather, practices and studies that I undertook later in life brought me to a spot where I have no fear of death.

Comment by Dillon on April 19, 2009 at 3:12pm

Thanks to everyone that responded with in a day. Thats really thoughtful.

To Mark:

Well i guess i am afraid because i cant control it. My personality is kinda controlling, which i have realized and am working on. Also, part of having no control, i feel that there are many things that i haven't done yet that i would like to do.
Overall, id say my fear of dieing is somewhat odd. I find myself afraid of dieing in a bed when im old, but when i am on my street bike, death is second to the rush of breaking though the wind and enjoying all the scenery around you.

Oh also, i dont know if anyone saw the picture about prayer. I thought is was funny. But today i went and visited this church i went to when i was in middle school (i actually took my bike there lol). I thought it was ironic because his message was about how he belives that we have the power to control our lives, but listen to this, after we have the knowledge, confidence, and faith in our salvation.

Kinda interesting i thought. And this is the day after i saw that picture. Or maybe im getting a little to excited.

Well im new so if there are any blogs anyone would like me to look at totally message me!

Thanks

Comment by Mark Walter on April 20, 2009 at 1:05am

"Well i guess i am afraid because i cant control it. My personality is kinda controlling, which i have realized and am working on."

Is there anything that you truly DO have control over?

Control is a relative term. You can ride your bike and have a sense of very good control, but a tire can unexpectedly blow out, and within a split second, the bike flips and you die. How much control do you really have in anything?

You can get up in the morning, and make a quick sandwich for lunch when you dash off for work. At lunchtime, you chow down as usual. But the peanut butter is tainted with salmonella and you get violently ill. How much control do you truly have?

What we have is a sense of control, but there is nothing that we fully control. To look at death as somehow different - as something that we have no control over - is to suggest that death is subject to a different form of control than the rest of life. Is it?

Comment by Jeff H on April 20, 2009 at 11:01am

The Bushido "Resolute Acceptance of Death" is the core of personal strength. In the word of Stephen King, "We are born each owing a death." Knowing that, and embracing it give one the power to live. The transitory nature of life gives each moment meaning.

James 4:14
Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. (The word vapor is most commonly used of the mist from one's breath on a cold morning)

As a Christian, this takes on a even more far reaching implication. This life is our womb, to be born into eternity. By acknowledging death, it the fleeting nature of this life, any hint of a "next" becomes vitally important.

"Jesus said to the woman [who had washed His feet], "Your faith has saved you; go in peace" (Luke 7:50).

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12).

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life (John 3:14-15).

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son (John 3:16-18).

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him (John 3:36).

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life (John 5:24).

For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:40).

I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life (John 6:47).

I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins (John 8:24).

I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die (John 11:25-26).

Now valid faith is proven in the bearing of fruit, in this case becoming more Christ like.

Knowing this life is the launching pad frees me from having to have everything my way. It also frees me from a lot of the pain that comes in life. Instead of mourning the years of life I lost to alcoholism, I can seek to finish this course well, and and eternity of joy to come. I have a much bigger picture, so little things seem to annoy me less.

Comment by Dillon on April 20, 2009 at 2:02pm

I cant help but think of B. Franklin when he said something along the lines of, the only things certain in life are death and taxes. I'm begging to understand why that quote is so popular.

"What we have is a sense of control" So true

Also thanks Jeff for all of those verses. My mom is a recovering alcoholic and has been struggling with relapse. Its encouraging to hear from you. Thanks

Comment by Jeff H on April 20, 2009 at 2:54pm

If I can provide any support or info on recovery let me know. Look over my profile page. Feel free to message me if is a privacy thing, or if its about your mom instead of you. Not polite to air someone elses laundry too much in public..

Comment by Kernel John on April 22, 2009 at 11:52pm

Hey Dillon, your belief sounds very real. You go on to say you're not sure why there is so much crap in this world and that you have been known to blame god for this. What would things look like if we assumed that all matter, including the world, was not created by God. Suppose we believed that matter can neither be created or destroyed. Suppose, like you, matter is eternal and although it can be transformed into energy the process by which energy is transformed into matter is described by the mystics as the mystery of creation - to which we apply the God concept to resolve or explain. The point is the messes we have on this planet have nothing to do with God so why blame Her. The belief that somehow God intervenes in the affairs of man does a disservice to god and man. Why would the perfect soul come into matter. It's only us lesser souls that do this. No cause to blame God for our transgressions.

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