Hope - in two deaths

 I would be very surprised if you don’t hear about an acquaintance, relative, friend, etc. passing away almost on a daily basis. Today, I heard about two people and the way they finished their innings on the earth. Two very different people, from very different places. I know one of them quite well and don’t know the other at all. Yet, their going away stories remains with me and I believe will remain with me for a long time. 

He was a good family friend of ours. We knew him for a long time. He was greatly skilled in his line of work. He was a towering figure, not just in stature but also in his influence. I loved his humility most about him. Updates kept pouring in these last 10 days about his health condition. He personally updated us almost every day. He shared how he has been admitted to the hospital and then we learned how his levels were dropping, then he got better…. I wish the messages ended there. The next day he dipped again. That was the last message we got from him directly. From then, it was his wife or daughter or a friend who updated us. He had to shift hospitals as he needed an ICU. He was on the BiPAP and then on the ventilator. 

“He has moved on to be with the Lord”. 2:56PM. I remember breaking down when I read the message. How we prayed, how we hoped that uncle will get better. 

Two days later, another friend shared uncle’s last few moments. Earlier that day, his wife had met him and told him 3 things - you were a loving husband, you were a good dad and you were a faithful servant of God. Minutes before he closed his eyes, his daughter kept stroking his hair and kept repeating - “Go home daddy, we’ll meet you there”. I choke as I write this. 

Through the pain of the treatment, how do we remain calm? Through the agony of separation from a loved one, how do we let go? Through the fear and uncertainty of death, what is our hope?  How could the daughter release her father with the confidence of meeting him again?

About 2000 km’s away in a rural place, a man is rushed to the hospital for treatment. It’s not the fanciest nor the most equipped hospital. In fact, till a couple of weeks ago they weren’t even treating COVID patients. Because of the snowballing of the cases, they had to quickly adapt to meet the challenges. I know the people running the hospital. What they might lack in infrastructure, they compensate through remarkable and excellent service. I haven’t heard of many places where the officer in charge sleeps every night in the hospital to keep a close eye on the patients’ health and oxygen supplies and other nitty-gritty. Even though they are overwhelmed by the number of cases, there is a huge sense of fulfillment and enthusiasm by the staff.

“Brother, we are giving you the best possible treatment possible in this place. But there is some bad news, it’s not healing your body. You don’t have much time left. A few hours, or a day at the most.” Incredibly painful news for the patient but the staff continue talking to him. “However, there is some good news. Jesus died for your sins. He rose again from the dead conquering sin and death. In Him, you find salvation. Trust in His work and even though you die, you shall live!” 

The man reflected on his whole life the next few moments. He also contemplated the news that was just shared with Him. “Jesus died for my sins, and by trusting Him and in His work, I receive salvation?” “How much more time do I have left sir?”, he asked the staff. I don’t know what decision he took those last few hours before he breathed his last. I wouldn’t be surprised if he whispered a prayer to Jesus in his last few gasping breaths. 

“Today, you shall be with me in Paradise” - Jesus.

“I am the Resurrection and the Life! He who believes in me shall live even though he dies.” - Jesus.

The pain is real. The separation is real. But so is the hope…. it is real.