Theology of Death, Focusing our Intentions

Paul Johnson, the historian, said "nothing focuses the mind like death." This quote is profoundly timely in our world were the biggest temptation we face is one of distractions the dissipate our energies and blunts our purpose in life. 

In the Medieval and Renaissance periods paintings often had a skull there as a way of reminder of one's own impending death. Below is Albert Dhuer's painting of St. Jerome were you see the halo around his head with a book in front of him, his fore finger pointing to death as the impending reality. Medieval people saw an opportunity of Remembrance of death is a positive thing, helping them remind them to focus their minds and be conscientious individuals. 

Steven R. Covey  starts the book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People with a chapter called “Begin with the End in Mind.” He asks the reader to imagine themselves to be standing beside their own coffin and imagine what they would want their friends to say about this. This is an exercise of prioritizing what is important and unimportant in one's life.

When the third movie of the Batman Trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, was released and gunman committed a massacre in a movie theater in Aurora, CO. As I was watching the news on this horrendous event, there was a survivor who said that after the shooting he proposed to his girlfriend. His encounter with death focused his mind to a point such that he reoriented the priorities of his life. 

In medieval monasteries a spiritual practice called remembrance of death was used to create a sense of singularity of intention, taking away the frivolous distractions in order to serve God and neighbor above all else. When Jesus said, "he who comes after me let him take up his cross daily and follow me," (Luke 9:23) this was a way of encountering our death so that we become singular follower of the Jesus' self-giving way of creating a kingdom of loving peace.

We live in a world filled with so many distractions, ranging from facebook feeds to giant billboards advertising junk food. We suffering from a sense of scatter-brainedness, and inability to focus on important priorities. We also live in a world brimming with a sense of entitlement where the slightest slight or insult can enrage people to the point of crippling outrage.

When I find myself being angry at people for treating me badly, I find that this negative emotion drains me sapping me off my focus, derailing my intention, robbing my purpose. At such times, remembrance of death reminds me that instead of feeling insulted and injured by petty offenses I should be grateful that I am alive, remembering that one day I will die, reorients my priorities, giving me a sense of urgency and focus to make the most of present moment instead of allowing my negative emotions to distract me from my deeper purpose.

For Christians, remembrance of death is a spiritual discipline that helps create an urgency of intention to prioritize our spiritual life with God and our neighbor all else. 

In Christ's resurrection, having been freed from the final fear of death, we can live in to the freedom of allowing our remembrance of death to focus our intention, weeding out distractions, re-configuring our priorities, and living into our singular purpose in participating with God,  building a kingdom of loving peace.