“EVERYONE” ENDS UP IN THE “SAME PLACE” AND GETS THE “SAME SIZE”

A couple of days back, Jayaprakash, one of my close relatives died. He is someone whom I greatly admire and respect. Life was hard and harsh on him, yet he chose to fight his way against all odds, and come up trumps in life.  He lost his father, my maternal uncle, when he was in his teens. He stopped his studies, and took up a job in the coal mines, which he earned by qualifying in a running race of five kilometres. He started at the rank bottom of all the jobs there. By the time he retired, he was in the position of the Personnel Manager, at the headquarters of this State owned company, with close to 40,000 plus employees. He also progressed well in his academics, which he pursued while working. He did his best to help all his siblings to come up in life, donning the role of their father. 

This unexpected death of my cousin, brought to my mind, the stark reality of life, its struggles, and what is truly important in life. I can never forget one of the many things my cousin shared with me. He said, “I will come to see you all, only as long as I am alive.” He deeply cared to maintain family relationships. This attachment to the family is sorely missing these days. Modern life and modern families are preferring nuclear style of family, over the extended family style of the past. We are preferring to live in our little ‘pigeon hole’ like lives, and believe that, this is the beginning and the end of all that is good in life. What a tragedy.

Family relationships are dying a slow but certain death. There is not much of love and affection these days, in the families, as in the past. Someone may call my line of thinking as sentimental and emotional attachment to the past, and its ways of relational conduct. I personally think, that system is good, despite any ills it may have. The evidence speaks for itself. People who lived in such a system of family and society had almost zero mental and emotional health issues. Life then was full of struggles, like my cousin’s. Yet we had almost no mental health issues. People chose to fight the struggles and challenges. The extended family, stood with those struggling, to the best of their ability. The moral, emotional and spiritual support was of far more significance than any financial or material support – which in any case was very small, and in most cases, almost nil.

I am reminded of Paul’s words to young Timothy about how life, people and world would be, towards the last days. The Word of God is spot on. Sadly, we seem to read our scriptures and remember it too. Yet, we seem to prefer to live nuclear family style, where our privacy supersedes everything else, including the right of the parents over their growing children. Pity and sad to see the path we are wanting to walk upon, and calling it progressive and dynamic way of living.
– “​1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” – 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Dear brothers and sister, I am reminded of an anonymous quotation that I came across a while ago. It is so appropriate. It brings life, and all what is important in it, into proper perspective.
– “No matter how big your house is, how recent your car is, or how big your bank account is, still, our graves will always be the same size. So, stay Humble.”

Everyone, ends up in the same “dirt” for we are made of dust, and to dust we will have to return. Whoever we may be. Whatever we might have achieved. We may have accumulated name, fame and money. Many may recognise us far and wide. We may have in our possession, the very best of what this world can offer. Still, we all end up in the same place. The size of our final resting place here on earth will be – three feet by six feet – and depending upon our height, a few more inches may be added. That is all that is there to us, once we die…every single one of us.
– “18 I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them…19…one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. 20 All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.” – Ecclesiastes 3:18-20

What remains of us, and what will be remembered about us is, what we have done, and what we truly achieved. Have we have touched hearts? Have we have cared for people? Have we shown Christ like love, kindness, generosity, compassion and forgiveness? But for these, no one remembers anything that we may have achieved. It is all vanity dears friends. Don’t run after vain things this world may offer, as the “things to die for.” Surely the one who runs after all that the world offers dies a thousand deaths, even as they live. Their lives are as good as being dead. They are dead for.so many things, while they are alive. After death, no one remembers them, even after achieving so much in this world. Probably the ones who were hurt and crushed, may remember such a person, albeit, for all the wrong reasons.
– “27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” – Hebrews 9:27
– “10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” – 2 Corinthians 5:10

Dear brothers and sister, let us think about the seriousness and the significance of what our LORD had said in Matthew 16:26-27
– “26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” – Matthew 16:24-27

Would God find our names written on His roll, when death comes calling us? Can we say with confidence, *”When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.”* It is worth pausing and pondering. Even so, the LORD help us.