May 12: ACTIVELY DYING

The phrase “actively dying” caught my attention. I had considered death as a “passive” experience. The patient simply waited for death. Whatever the sickness, it set the pace for the death whether sooner or later. The patient, as an “active” participant in the dying process, was expressed in this case by the patient refusing food and water, hence “actively dying”.
The insight from the Hospice nurse was indeed helpful to me. Then I thought of the many years I have spent trying to help people who were “actively dying”. There are too many pictures in the New Testament of Jesus holding open hands of loving invitation to people to come to Him but the conclusion of the picture is “they would not come”.
Actively dying! The Water of Life (Jesus) is bubbling up like a spring around the world and many are turning from death to life but many more are choosing to die spiritually. Why would people choose death? It is the eternal mystery. Jesus invites, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full..” (John 10:10 NIV)
In the face of current conditions, one would think there would be a storming of people running after Jesus as in the first century. Instead, millions are actively dying by choosing to go the dying way of the world. “For this world in it’s present form is passing away.” (1 Corinthians 7:31 NIV)
Are you actively dying? Are you rejecting the water of life and the bread of life? Don’t stubbornly reject this appeal from Jesus. Surely there is a spiritual clinic (church) in your neighborhood where loving people are awaiting those who want to live and will give free nourishment to you. If you lived in a land where there was no option to choose spiritual life, that would be horrible. Here, today, at this time, you don’t have to die. Chose life!

“We who are about to die, salute You, Jesus; that in this crisis moment
of our lives You should confront us with such an invitation. Amen”