Ever since Edd passed away six short (and also long) months ago, I have been struggling with what I believe. Actually, let me back up. I have always been struggling with what I believe.
I distinctly remember my parents setting up a meeting for me with the pastor of our church when I was maybe 13 or 14, because I had so many hard questions they couldn't answer. I also remember not being satisfied with our pastor's answers. I know, I know. That's where faith comes in - believing in the unseen. I've just never been good at that.
Being present while my step dad physically died was one of the singular most defining experiences of my life. That kind of experience shatters any notion you may have had about you or people you love living forever. It brought death up really, really close and personal for me, and while it struck me like an anvil that the soul and body are separate, it didn't make me feel all that more comfortable about what exactly happens after death. I envy people who are sure.
Heavy stuff for a Thursday morning, I know! I hadn't planned to write about this today, but then I read this article by a neurosurgeon who wrote a very detailed and, I think, believable account of his "out of body experience" while in a coma for a week. The article had tears streaming down my face as I sipped my morning coffee, because that place he went sounds so beautiful, and I hope Edd is there. But then my skeptical nature kicked back in and I wondered to myself if people in other cultures and of other religions have the same types of experiences with the afterlife as the reports we occasionally get here in Western (Christian) culture. That would be interesting to know, because you would think they would all be so similar if people are experiencing glimpses of the same afterlife.
But I really would recommend you read that article - it's incredibly fascinating and, if you've lost a loved one, offers some comfort. Of course, there are still thousands of unanswered questions, and I suppose there always will be. But despite the evil and brokenness that undeniably exists in this world, I felt a surge of joy this morning to also be a part of a beautiful world of complete unity and love.
What do you believe about life after death? And why do you believe it?