Where O Death is your Sting?
Rev. Ericcson T. Mapfumo
Coordinating Anglican Chaplain
Originally from Zimbabwe, Ericcson has been in the UK for the last 20 years and is a Church of England priest or pastor looking after two churches in Huddersfield. He has worked in a variety of settings with people from diverse nationalities and cultural backgrounds, building strong working relationships and adapting well to different environments. He knows what it means to be a student, having completed his BSc (Hons) in Construction & Project Management at the University.
What is death?? Is a question that l find myself asking especially when death occurs in the world. This was also the case when Pope Francis died, and as most people agree – death continues to be a mystery.
On one coffee morning with some of the congregation members in our church, we started talking about death, and the mere thought of it gave us some goosebumps, some of the congregants shared how some individuals when its near their time of death, will usually sense it, and are able to hold on (prolong death) before they see or hear the sound of their favorite person, and die when they are “ready”. It was also interesting to realise that one of the visitors hoped to die peacefully, with no pain or suffering. This was their wish, mostly based on their experience of having watched a relative or loved one dying after going through significant amounts of pain.
Different opinions have been presented on assisted dying if you have been following the news, and in this reflection, my aim is not to debate this issue, but to allow us to reflect on what is death and what happens when it occurs. The way l look at it is: if l am not the author of life, in what capacity will l be able to determine when l ought to die. Some die prepared, whilst others do not choose when they die. The causes of death are multifaceted, and it can be easy to say disease, or other illness was responsible – of course it might have had. Ultimately, l believe that there is time for everything, time to be born, as well as time to die (Ecclesiastes 3: 1-2). The university experience is full of life, with assignments, new friends and new life experiences. All this hope of what could be sometimes will haunt us especially when we one of us pass away. This then forces us to look carefully at what life is, and if there is any meaning to it?
When death occurs to one of our friends, relative, family member or classmates, let us realise that it can take some time for their loved ones to come to terms with their passing. It might also take time for us as individuals to accept that this is the new reality. What l have found is that participating in some ritual or actions to mark the life of those whom we loved will go a long way in helping us heal from the pain that would have come upon us.
During the beginning of the many services l have conducted, l find myself turning to this Bible reading which reads: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). This has helped me to realise that l am not the author of life, and l must be grateful and thank God for life.
My prayers continue with those who are grieving the loss of their loved ones during this season, this academic term.
Thank you
Ericcson