It feels funny to say that I have a favorite book about death.

I do, though. It’s The Last Enemy by Michael Wittmer. It’s an important book on a topic that we neglect to our detriment.

We Will Die

I live in a young community. It’s easy for us — even for those of us who aren’t young — to forget that we will die.

Wittmer writes, “You are going to die. Take a moment to let that sink in. You are going to die. One morning the sun will rise and you won’t see it. Birds will greet the dawn and you won’t hear them. Friends and family will gather to celebrate your life, and after you’re buried they’ll return to the church for ham and scalloped potatoes. Soon your job and favorite chair and spot on the team will be filled by someone else…You are going to die. What a crushing, desperate thought. But unless you swallow hard and embrace it, you are not prepared to live.”

Death seems like an unwelcome surprise. It should be unwelcome, but it shouldn’t be a surprise. We’re better off when we remember the inevitability of death.

Since we’re all going to die, a good part of the Christian life must be preparing to die. We need to talk about it often. We need to sing songs that anticipate that day and help to prepare us. We often live as if death isn’t our reality. Life is short, and the inevitability of death and the reality of eternity should change how we live today.

Death Is an Enemy

“If death was no big deal, then there would be no reason to be a Christian,” Wittmer writes. “Sin and death are the one-two punch that Jesus came to knock out.”

I worry sometimes that we’ve gotten ahead of ourselves. We seem hesitant to grieve when someone dies. We’ve lost our ability to lament, to grieve as those who have hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Death is a big deal. It’s the last enemy to be defeated (1 Corinthians 15:26). Even though Jesus has defeated death, we’re still waiting for the day when death will be no more.