On Death and Dying

I'm going to assume that I am alone in wondering about this. Carrie Fischer died recently, and she was one of many celebrities who have died this year. People are dredging themselves in sorrow about the loss of these talented and not so talented artists claiming that 2016 has been a horrible year because of these deaths. I understand that Carrie was fairly young at age 60 to die. I'm sorry that she died at such a "young" age, but I just don't understand why people who did not know her, except on the screen, are so upset about her death and the deaths of these other celebrities.

A great number of people died this year, and this is normal. We are all born to die, but our nation is not mourning their passing of the ordinary person, most of the people in our country cannot name 20 of them. Think of the children who died from disease. Think about the young women and men who were killed in battle. Think about the grandmas and grandpas that died. Think about the people who lived on the streets and had no name. Think about the Christians who are being persecuted for their faith In the Middle East. Think about the massive killings of children that ISIS has committed, without remorse or regret. We don't seem to mourn them. We seem to bury them, even if we hear the stories in the news, which, most of the time, we don't. We move on, but these celebrities, we mourn. I don't understand this kind of grief.

I could understand saying and feeling that I'm sorry s/he died, especially at a younger age, and I do. I can certainly understand praying for the repose of their soul. I just cannot understand why celebrities are wrapped in a shroud of adulation and mourning that affects so many people so profoundly. Maybe we just need to be part of a group who are also mourning? Are we so disenfranchised from each other that we can only relate to the people of our dreams? I don't understand it. I really don't.

The fault might be with me because I just don't get it. The problem might be that we tend to live empty lives focused only on the self and when a part of that life dies, we grieve. The problem might be that we have forgotten that God does exist and that He loves us. I don't think the answer is singular. I think the answer is multi-faceted. Maybe this is a signal that we, as a nation and part of the world, we need to change. Maybe we need to show more love to everyone. Maybe we need to forgive. Maybe, most importantly of all, we have to open our hearts to God. He won't enter if you don't let him.

I know individuals who do not believe in God. Unless they were raised that way, I think something happened to them that was traumatic, which they, of course, could not understand or see God's hand in this tragedy. Their attitude could be, "If God would let this happen, there cannot be a God." I can understand this failure of logic. Bad things do happen to good people. That has been proven over and over and over. Good things happen, too, and when the graces are flowing that make us feel good, feel loved, it's easy to believe in God and to open our hearts to Him. When bad things happen, and they do, and they will, we don't get out of life unscathed, we tend to forget God, push Him away, curse Him. This is certainly much easier to do than to trust and wait patiently for God's plan to be revealed, if it ever is.

Life is not easy for God's children, and we are all God's children. We have to remember that God has a plan, and His plan for us might include great sufferings. I think of the victims of isis: parents who are killed by their children; parents who are forced to watch the beheadings of their children and spouses. Their suffering is unimaginable! I pray for them. Their stories wrench my soul.

Celebrities fall into a different category for me I'm not saying that they were bad people, although some of them were poor examples of morality and justice. I'm not saying that bad things didn't happen to them. I just don't understand the reasons behind the national grief.
I will and do pray for them, but their deaths do not ruin my life or my year. My year hasn't been good, but my year was normal for me. Simply put, 2016 was another difficult year. I can't mourn those people who lived long lives in the spotlight. I cannot mourn with people who are devastated because they people achieved celebrity. I'm sorry they died, but life comes to an end for all of us.

When I stand before the Throne of God for my judgment, I don't know what He will say. He might tell me that I didn't love enough. He might tell me that I was wrong. I don't know. I just know that there are those celebrities, that I didn't know, who died, but their deaths are not devastating for me. I will pray for them, and I do, but my life is not destroyed because they died. If they were my parent, my sister, my brother, my child, of course, I would mourn their loss, but they are not. Their names will live on for a while, but, in the end, they will be forgotten. Life goes on and on. People live. People die. Being in a world community, we need to love our sisters and brothers for we are all children of God, but we need to identify our God.

Peace.