Fear of Death
By
Agber Tim Cuttings
Essentially, the reality of death is so debilitating and vexing, but in actual fact it is supposed to make us to live our lives in a more meaningful way. Everybody is afraid to die and the reason for being afraid to die however varies based on personal concept of death or afterlife.
For instance, one of the greatest inventors of the 18th Century, Thomas Edison (1847 – 1931) once in his later life had the fear of dying. Edison was not a religious man however; he believed in Supreme Intelligence. He once pointed out to a friend that although he was known around the world as a great inventor, he could not create the simplest form of life. This made him bother about what life is and how a man comes to existence. The question of life after death now spellbound Edison so greatly.
In his later years, he told newspaper reporters several times that he was working on a device, which will be very sensitive that if truly there is life after death, it would pick up the evidence. Actually, if any model of such a machine was ever developed, it was not found in Edison ’s laboratories.
It doesn’t matter if you are rich, powerful or influential, you will still die5. This calls to mind the fact that even if you are Poor, Illiterate, Educated, President’s Wife, Minister’s Friend, Senator’s Son, Governor’s Daughter, Commissioner’s In-law, Professor’s Brother, Barrister’s Sister, Permanent Secretary’s Girl Friend, Farmer, Medical Doctor or whatever, you must simply die! What is difficult to guess about death however, is who next will die, when, where and how he will die.
The fact that we have to face death individually makes people to find it so terrifying. This philosophical view implies that even if you are surrounded by millions of people when you are dying, you must still pass through death by yourself alone.
It is most unfortunate that people are not given the mandate or opportunity to chose, decide and order when, where and how to die. This factor however accounts to the misfortune of a mortal man and more or less promiscuiting, the life we live has no timetable like school examinations and this is the zilch of a mortal man.
Death is surrounded by many encumbrances that make people fret with many questions such as:
· What will it feel like when you die?
· Where will I go to after I die?
· Will I still meet my enemies who have already died?
· Will the afterlife be as chaotic and painful as this life?
· Who will inherit my properties, and so on.
Well, I have never died before, you have never died before either and therefore, we don’t know what actually to expect. The fear of death is a universal phenomenon and for it to be harnessed, everybody needs to live his life to God who is the creator of it.
There once lived a man in the terrains of Ageva, who told of a story of Death to Mr. Wuhe Ikyambe Agbee in 1928. After 80 years Wuhe revealed the wonderful story and the man who told him this story in 1928 happened to be the grand father of the author of this book.
It was at noon when it dawned on the hearts of men, the issue of survival. Whether one would survive the day was something left to be understood however, the concept of death was firmly grounded in confirmable facts. One of which was made obvious through the scorching heat of the sun that overwhelmed men who were already weak with despair. This scorching heat of the sun was completely different from any other day ever experienced and it was so hot that human understanding could not explain, leaving people with a puzzling message of the uncalled visitation of death.
Hours of afternoon rolled bye and the evening came with the sun shimmering its magenta beams of terror, soon to give way to darkness of the night of doom to close in upon the terrains of Ageva and its inhabitants.
Suddenly, there saw Mr. Tortya a misty figure coming but one like gibbous not in the sky but on the road across River Be. Slowly but steadily he ascended a hill onto which Mr. Tortya’s house was situated with a cool breeze pleasantly blowing but horribly felt. Reminding the folk in the softest of tone and heard with fear, that Death has arrived and yet leaving no one with the hope of escape.
Tortya made it an obligation to welcome visitors and treat them well whether they are for good or bad mission. He cordially but grudgingly received Death and asked the wife to prepare a meal for Mr. Death to eat before proceeding with his journey.
Hanive, Tortya's wife was a woman with snubbed nose and ballooned cheeks but the best cook in that whole village. The woman prepared a delicious meal that Death would have been disappointed if his appetite did not justify him to eat. The most attractive pounded yam passionately pounded and chicken gracefully prepared in its most delicious splendor.
Usually, it was not common for Death to partake of such meals but in this case, the aroma of the stew compared him with the strongest of the meal’s spirit to eat a meal that was not intended to be a bribe but one of hospitality. When Mr. Death ate of this meal, the soul of slumber beckoned on him to sleep. When Mr. Death was asleep, Tortya came and opened the register that contained the names of those who were marked for death ranging from one to one hundred. He asked for a pen and canceled his name and cunningly wrote it on the last row.
Astonishingly enough, with the wagging of Mr. Death’s legs it became obvious, and no one needed to be told that he was about to wake up. Parakeets began to squeal, owls to howl with the moon spinning and behold, like a fiery lightening swung the eyes of Death widely opened. Death stoop up in a most graceful posture and the fear of dying saluted Mr. Tortya and he wished that the scene could be summarized into a mere dream.
Tortya’s good works attracted the attention of Mr. Death and he passed his judgment by saying that Tortya's name was first on the list of those he marked for destruction but that he is not going to die, hence his good works of hospitality. Death decided that only one person will he kill in a whole year and that as Tortya’s name is the first on the list, he will start killing from the last name to the first. Apparently, Tortya’s attempts to avoid death according to his mortal wisdom became a gallows for the hanging of his life.
Some die without having really lived, acting life instead of living it as though they were on a stage while others continue to live, in spite of the fact that they have died.
According to Burton
Death has indwelled the things that mankind has so much love for but the shadow of Death appears on the things that mankind has abhorred most. More so, Death traps us in things we love most, the same things for which we are afraid to die.
Remember that death is coming for you someday and you haven’t been told when that will be. Before that day comes, be kind to your friends and be as generous as you can. Don’t deny yourself a single day’s happiness. When you are happy, you live longer and if death comes you will not fear. If there is something you want to do and it is lawful, go ahead and do it.
Human beings are like leaves on a spreading tree. New growth takes the place of the fallen leaves, while some of us die, others are being born. When the age of a leaf has, for the reason of long life decides to restrict supplies to the leaf, it makes it yellow; a color that proves it is ready to fall down. However, a yellow leaf does not fall, until wind blows and when a leaf becomes yellow, preparatory to falling it should remind the other freshly green leaves that they are also going to pass through that too.
More so, green leaves do not ordinarily fall off because of wind, unless they are weak with age and become yellow. All the same, yellow leaves do not ordinarily fall off because of weathering out unless wind blows across.
Consequently, death exposes the ultimate frivolity of a life devoted only to the pursuit of wealth and power6. Wherefore, living a life of good works unto God and humanity instead of pursuit of wealth and power can make us feel comfortable even if we see death.
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