Death, Passed away and asleep in Christ

     In my life I learned the English word “death” when I was in grade 5. The meaning of “death” is simple. That is opposite of living life. Stop breath and pulse.

Later, I learned the word “Passed away”.  It is more beautiful for the word “death”.

Sooner the later, the newspaper introduced me the phrase “asleep in Christ”.  Why have they been using this phrase instead of the word “passed away”?  This phrase “asleep in Christ” is the same meaning of “death”. Why do they use asleep in Christ?

To understand the meaning of these three words have precious meaning for the life on earth and the life after death.

The word “death” reveals us that human body and soul are separated. Body goes into the ground.  The bible said; “For dust you are and to dust you will return.”   Christians believe that “soul” will go back to the home of the Creator if you believe in Jesus Christ as your savior. If you do not believe it the soul may go to the opposite of heavens; that is hell. The word “death” is slightly weigh on physical body that stop breath and pulse. This is the common understanding. In Christian point of view the word “death” is important for the life on earth.  It obviously weigh on spirit. A Christian who is death in spirit has no place after death in the kingdom of God.

     The word “passed away” is such a beautiful phrase. This phrase depicts that a journey of the soul leaving from the world and its body. Every culture and religion has its own way to send a man last journey. At the funeral ceremony, the rest of the people on earth have their own purpose to stand and send a man last journey. They may say quietly good bye or thanks words from their hearts or singing at the funeral service and may be to comfort the family of the deceased . But some could not accept the leaving situation and attach so much. We are human so this is natural behavior of human beings.  Among them, some wicked persons imprison a soul and force to do something for their wicked way.  What a pity soul! We must care for a soul for its journey not only concern on the ceremony of culture or religion but also praying for its new journey to reach the destiny safe and sound.  A new journey leaving from the world of a soul has many dangers in surrounding both visible and invisible world.  The wicked are in the visible world and, Satan and its dark world are in the invisible world waiting to drag a soul from its destiny.

On the other hand, who passed away by an accident could not get peace in the life after death. In some cases we heard about it.  We can pray for them with Numbers 6:26; “The LORD turn his face towards you and keep you peace”, in Jesus name. 

     The phrase “asleep in Christ” is direct translation from obituary section of Myanmar newspaper. The soul of a person who believed in Jesus Christ as his savior will be in the kingdom of God.

Rev Do Pi preached a short and solid sermon at the funeral of Pa Langh on 1^st November 2014 in New York. There are four facts.  I would like to share what I heard from that sermon.

“We should not mourn like the hopeless .We have a promise God. Christ Jesus who said that there were many rooms in his father’s home. Now our uncle Pa Langh is going back home. That’s why we say asleep in Christ.” 

 What a precious sermon!

     " Death ", " Passed away " and " asleep in Christ"  are the words to face by everyone on the last journey of  human life on earth.  These words do not reveal the end of  life, they reveal  the beginning of  life after death.

jujulay .