What lies beyond the door of death is unknown

Yet, could we live without hope of divinity
of eternal value to our actions; of self-worth?
Can we believe in what we do; what we are, now?

Are we but dust on the carpet of time, endlessly recycled;
regenerated with as little meaning, forever busy
forming meaningless creations of insignificance?

Surely there is more than this, a different actuality Yet surely there is more than this, a different actuality

Surely there is value and reality beyond what we can see.
Surely the endlessness of existence has significance.

Religions form to give us meaning, eternal value,
yet are mere human creations, human conventions;
our agreements to see worth in our own inventions.

Is religion then a mere support for our insecurity
a noose to tie us to the tree of life, strangling reality
whilst giving some meaning to what we do?

Does truth lie beyond our franchise, truth inscrutable
or is reality only what we are and see and do today
without ultimate meaning eternally unvalued?

Can we in our simple existence unearth eternity
explain the why and when and how and whither?
Can we in our simplicity know God?

What lies beyond the door of death remains unknown
despite the many theories crafted around our fate;
despite the proclamations of priest and pagan
despite all that we may hope or guess at
. Death is the final impermeable frontier.


All religions formulate ideas of what lies beyond the grave, All religions formulate ideas of what lies beyond the grave,

Yet, the teaching of Jesus does not seem to focus on such ideas.
References that he makes to an afterlife are few and dubious.

The idea of afterlife surfaced in the Bible when the old promises
of Israelite religion failed to provide the required solution.
Since people were obviously not being rewarded for their faith
apocalyptic literature redefined divine rewards for the faithful
in terms of what came after death.

In our arrogance, we demand that our faith-system promises,
reward for the good, punishment for the bad.
We formulate laws, rules and doctrines
to differentiate one from the other.

Lacking any obvious retribution for evil in this world,
we demand it after death, and religions prosper
by offering that as within their grasp.
Believe or burn!

Belief in life after death is a source of personal security.
Nothing offers more encouragement to live a good life
than the confidence that there is a better life ahead
for those who use the present to prepare for eternity,
wasting, perhaps, the gift of life that God gave them.

Belief in the unlimited opportunities of eternity
has enabled many to make the ultimate sacrifice
of their own life on behalf of those they love.

True faith lies in facing the grave with confidence,
not faith in the reward for good works,
but in the goodness of Creation.
We may not meet our loved ones again;
may be dust on the carpet of time,
but we have lived and God has lived in us.

We die grateful for the gift that was given,
sorrowing at what, and whom, we leave behind,
yet excited about what may lie ahead,
if anything.