Northton

Brothers and Sisters, we are gathered here today to discuss the most natural and frightening thing in the world, death.  Most of us find it disturbing to consider our own mortality.  What will happen tomorrow?  How long will I live?  What will happen to me after I die and what purpose has my life served?  These are questions that have been studied for all of man's existence and for good reason. 

It is natural that we want our lives to continue, that this existence should go on forever, for the alternative is truly frightening, that it will all end and nothing remain of our efforts.  If you are like me, then you believe that death is the end of your life.  You know that nature has a plan, and it doesn't include you, at least not for long.  You believe that there is a vast and perhaps infinite universe that is far beyond understanding, but one thing rings true, and that is that death will take us all whether we accept it or not. 

What is the purpose of death?  Death makes room for new life; it allows life to change, to grow, and to continue in new and wonderful ways.  For how can new flowers grow if the old ones never die?  How can life evolve unless the old is replaced by the new?  Modern science has shown us that even the stars have a limited lifetime, that entire galaxies are gobbled up on a daily basis, along with their inhabitants.  The question that haunts us is, What will happen to me after I die?  The scientific view says that, after we take our last breath, after the heart stops pumping blood to the brain, that it, our mind, will disintegrate very rapidly.  Like a magnetic tape under a huge magnet, the memories, all of the years of learning and experience are gone in a matter of mere seconds. 

You may be saying, Surely there is a purpose to life.  Surely all of our experience and knowledge were not in vain.  Surely, we must live on, at least in some way or another, and you would be right.  We do live on, but not in ourselves, not as ourselves.  The good news is that there are copies of the tape.  All that you know may be passed along to the next generation, by teaching, by writing, by sharing your existence with the world at large.  Even your very genes can be passed along, but as the saying goes, You can't take it with you.

This life is reality.  This life matters.    Make your life matter.  Make your decisions, about what you do, what you buy, and about what causes you support, matter.  Don't wait until after you die to make a difference.  Don't waste this precious gift of life while you still have it in your possession,  and don't worry about what happens after you die, because it's completely out of your control.  Take comfort in living well and accept life for what it is instead of what you wish it could be.  Accept death as your own personal retirement and prepare for it accordingly by making the most of your life today.