Death be not proud

Thirty years ago today my Dad passed away. It seems like yesterday.

I miss his smile and hug, his quick wit and laughter. Generous with his time and love, passionate about family, music, entertaining, the BB, football and jokes, Dad was adored by all who knew him. He was my hero. My late Great Uncle Jim wrote a poem about Dad entitled He Being Dead Yet Speaketh. Echoing Hebrews 11 v4 Uncle Jim knew that Dad's beautiful life had left an indelible mark on time. If I can bring and leave a quarter of the love and joy he did in his all too short life, I'll be delighted.

 

A couple of months before he lost his 2 year battle against cancer, Dad, Mum, my brother Robert, and I, made a decision to follow Jesus. All within 12 hours of each other. I see now that it was miraculous mercy. To this day I have no idea how our family would have survived the anguish of Dad's death without the mercy, grace and comfort of God.

I have experienced many forms of death since that day in 1985. Death of more loved ones, cherished dreams, passing relationships, and what-might-have-beens. Some of them one time deaths, others seem to die over and over again. What I have learned in the last 30 years is that death does not get the last word. Life does. Love does.

Singer songwriter Audrey Assad recently took one of John Donne's Holy Sonnets "Death Be Not Proud" and set it to one of her haunting melodies. It puts death firmly in its place.

"Death Be Not Proud" Audrey Assad  (listen here)

Death, be not proud, though the whole world fear you:

Mighty and dreadful you may seem,
But death, be not proud, for your pride has failed you
You will not kill me.

Though you may dwell in plague and poison,
You're a slave to fate and desperate men,
So death, if your sleep be the gates to Heaven,
Why your confidence?

When you will be no more,

You will be no more,
When you will be no more.
Even death will die.
Even death will die.

Death, be not proud.
Death, be not proud.
Death, be not proud,
Cause even death will die.