Death Toll, Plus One

A commentary by Robin Webber
United Church of pastor, Redlands and San Diego, California

Tragedies featured in the various media outlets commonly revolve one pivotal factor—body count, the number of deaths in any given setting.

Whether it's three, 300 or 3,000, the story revolves around who and how many died. Often numerical headlines drown out the substantive coverage of who, what, where, when or how that follows.

In news stories on tragic fatalities, always absent seems to be one particular unaccounted for person. And, amazingly, it's always the same person—no matter what the story is! Isn't it time we put the spotlight on this story within the story. Why always the same unaccounted for person? We'll get to that!

First, consider the main story. Staggering numbers of tragic news accounts arrive from every corner of the globe daily. We've heard of the 3,000 lives snuffed out in the World Trade Center attack, the 250,000 lives lost in a tsunami, the hundreds not accounted for on the U. S. Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina.

We've heard that 2,200 U.S. personnel have died in Iraq—besides Iraqis and others who also have died. We've heard of the 12 miners who perished in a West Virginia coal mine tragedy.

That, of course, is all old news. So let's wrack up some more numbers like: 1,500 buried in mud in the Philippines only last week—or this week 68 miners buried alive in Mexico with little hope of survival. Yes, numbers, numbers, numbers confront us and smack us right between the eyes.

But there is one "unaccounted for" person that is always left out of every story you read. And that's you! And it's me, too!

Why is it that death seems to happen to persons besides us? Just imagine reading a headline on the Fox Line News Wire coming off your computer with a bulletin alert blaring, "Today, I Died."

Sobering? Indeed! Downright scary!

But the reality is, one day you will die—and so will I!

What is so totally natural, so humanly deceiving, is that you and I always seem to exist. Everything fatal seems to happen around us, not to us—until it does.

We've all heard that "nothing is more certain than death or taxes"—and most of the time we half-way agree because once again we are the 'personunaccounted for' in the story.

If you give a full nod, you may be thinking—in a typical Woody Allan mode of agreement—"I don't mind dying, I just don't want to be there when it happens."

Well, whether we like to think about it or not, God has written a headline about us that should capture our total attention—and hasten a second look at the rising body count. He wrote plainly enough, "it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).

We may not die in a volcanic eruption, a swirling and churning tsunami, the darkness of a mine, or be dramatically martyred for our faith, but as the old saying goes, "our time is coming." The question is not, 'will death come?'—but 'what will it find when it arrives?'

I've noticed that people who fear dying are those most afraid to live. Yet they want more time for living—because of unfinished business. Ben Franklin long ago wittingly uttered this same anomaly when he said, "A long life may not be good enough, but a good life is long enough."

Jesus Christ went more to the point. He explained: "... I have come that they might have life, and that they can have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). Why did He say that? It all goes back to the wisdom Moses uttered in the wilderness nearly 3,500 years ago: "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalms 90:12).

You get the connection. In the final death toll tally, you and I will then be accounted for. So put yourself in the 'death toll—plus one' mode and ask yourself, what choices do I have now?

Just do nothing? Bad choice!

The best choice is to ask honestly: 'How much do I really know about what happens at death?' Also, ask: When Jesus said He came to bring "life"—even a more abundant life—did He mean just in this life? Or was He talking about a permanent solution to death?

Those are the really big questions—the ones that need truthful, believable answers.

Time to roll! Get the answers now, the same answers Jesus would give. Just request, read online or download these two absolutely free booklets that are filled with truth and hope: What Happens after Death? and The Road to Eternal Life.