As with many conversations I have with my friends around the world, the topic of death was an interesting one with Oscar Muriu from Nairobi, Kenya. We have become good friends and are enjoying time together in ministry.

One day we were discussing death and how our cultures think about it, and I was intrigued by his thoughts. Oscar has travelled regularly around the world and I believe has done a better job in understanding North American (or Western) culture than I/we have in understanding his culture.He shared with me the seemingly opposite way that we think about death based on someone’s age. 

When someone young in North America dies, let’s say a 5 year old or a teenager, we grieve the loss and use words such as “tragic”, and phrases like “they had so much life to live and it was cut short.” When someone older dies, let’s say someone in their 80’s or 90’s, sure we are sad, but we say things like “they had a good life” or “thankful for the time we had together.” It isn’t as tragic as someone younger.

In Oscar’s Kenyan context however, the conversation is flipped. When someone young dies, sure there is sadness, but their thinking is more around the idea that the child never had the opportunity to contribute much to society and the community so there isn’t that much to grieve. Yet when an older person dies, their sadness is great because they have lost one of their wisdom keepers. This person has lived and experienced much in life and has provided wisdom for the younger generation, and they are now gone.

I’ve thought about this conversation often and shared it with many people. It has caused me to reflect on the many assumptions our culture gives us that we believe must be right for everyone. 

As a follower of Jesus, and as one who also guides others in their journey of discipleship, conversations such as this one have caused me to reflect even deeper on what scripture has to say. What could I be missing? How often have I tried to get scripture to validate what my culture believes instead of what it is actually saying?

Let’s think about death briefly. In the bible I read about the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1 when he states “I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.” I hear Jesus’ prayer in John 17 as he yearns “Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.” Is this what I pray about?

The view of death in my North American context is so different, and this I believe has been fully adopted in the Christian context. What do we do with these verses? I’ve never seen someone pray along with the Apostle Paul about longing to be with Christ. It is never the “verse of the day” in the Bible App that we are to reflect on throughout our day.

I don’t have the exact answer for the thoughts I’m sharing, other than the idea that we must embrace all of scripture and try to reason away what we don’t think fits. And perhaps at times, our friends from different cultures will be instrumental in prompting us to think differently. 

For the Kingdom.

There is an aspect of God’s character in scripture that we all need to consider, for ourselves and as we come alongside others. It’s one of those things that doesn’t feel right actually, and it is one aspect that perhaps we’d like to avoid thinking about. Yet it is there and we need to consider it.

I first was prompted to reflect on this a few years back in reading about Hezekiah.

2 Chronicles 32:31

However, when ambassadors arrived from Babylon to ask about the remarkable events that had taken place in the land, God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him and to see what was really in his heart.

Did you hear that? “God withdrew from Hezekiah.” What does this mean? How are we supposed to “apply this to our lives today?”

I recently saw it in Hosea 5:6

When they come with their flocks and herds to offer sacrifices to the Lord, they will not find him, because he has withdrawn from them.

“He has withdrawn from them,” even though they are still going through the spiritual motions of sacrifice.

Is Jesus perhaps referencing this in a conversation with his disciples in Matthew 13:11?

He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.

A few questions come to mind for me.

First, is this true? I want a God who always comforts me, who will “never leave more nor forsake me.” and who “will be with me always, to the very end of the age.” I want the God who, through the Holy Spirit, has sent me “the Comforter.” Surely God won’t step away from me to “see what is really in my heart” will he?

Second, as we embrace our discipleship journey and also walk alongside others, it is so important to not create a God that we believe is “appropriate”, but to actually follow and worship the God who is. This will often leave us with tensions, trying to bring two sets of scripture together that appear to contradict each other.

And finally, is this me? Have I been so distracted with what I want life to be all about that God has decided to step away and “see what is really in my heart?” How would I approach this conversation with someone that I am discipling? Is this too bold?

This kind of thinking can either scare and confuse us, or it can move us to a place of divine reflection, times of solitude, allowing our minds and spirits to slow down and be available for God to speak. We need it for ourselves, and we need to lead those we come alongside to enter into the same.

Let’s be people who are willing to embrace all aspects of the scriptures as they reveal who God is fully.

For the kingdom.