Death in a better form

To the wise Shakespeare, Life is as a story told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing. But I should think that it signifies something for those who lived well and died in Christ; for we are all at home with the verse which says, Fade, fade, each earthly joy, Jesus is mine. And with the hope in that particular Jesus, I admire the more the words from a funeral oration, which says, “Time is not measured by the passing of years, but by what one does, what one feels and what one achieves.”

Those who die in Christ are like the bees that die in their honeycomb. The Lord gavest, the Lord takest back. To them, life is not disabled, but via death it is boldly enabled in Christ.

Comrades in Christ, our mourning is defined not only by the words that I use or by my deepest source of feeling, but by the history of death, which is one of the reasons for which you are encountering The Ploughman in literary context. And as Passover script in form of grapes, pomegranates and figs which holy Joshua and Caleb carried on a pole from the Vale of Eshcol, here is not so comfortable a memento from UGWU DỊ NSỌ which my colleague handed over to me as I was closing this up. My only wish about it is that you change the you in it to I;

“You are strong and well.
That’s fine.

You hope to remain so?
That’s natural.

You may be disappointed.
That’s possible.

You will die sooner or later.
That’s sure.

You better start to get ready:
That’s wisdom.

You may ask how to go about it.
That’s necessary.


Then listen!
Have a little time for those who will
weep when you die.
That’s proper.


Produce good deeds for those who
will write your funeral Oration.
That’s true

Remember:
After this life, there will be judgment. (Hebrews 9:27)
O yes, Thank you!”

- an piece from my book, The Ploughman's Talk 2

for more information, write richploughman@yahoo.com