By P Chong       Wed. 1 September 2010

From the womb to the tomb there is but one room

And that’s up in heaven or down in Hell

Where you’d forever dwell & yell!

Morbid as it may sound, especially on this beautiful first day of Spring, nothing is further from the truth. Ever since the downfall of mankind through the disobedience of Adam & Eve, man has been cast out of the Garden of Eden into the realm of evil & temptations. However, Father God in His graciousness & everlasting mercy has forgiven us & forgotten that act of human disobedience, but the consequences of that act cannot be avoided. Our physical death, the pain of childbirth, sickness & ailments, unending human problems & sufferings are, to name some, the consequences of sin we have to bear.

There is no escaping. Death is a certainty. Death comes to everybody. It has no respect for class, status or creed. Popular writer-teacher Leo Buscaglia used to say, “Remember, no one will get out of this world alive!”

There is a wonderful legend of the servant of a wealthy merchant. He was in a marketplace of Baghdad securing provisions for his master when he had the most frightful experience of his life. When he rushed into his master’s house a few minutes later, his colour had drained completely from his face.

“What’s the matter with you? It looks as though you have seen a ghost!” the master inquired.

“Master,” the servant replied, “I have just seen DEATH in the marketplace, and when he saw me, he raised his arm to strike me. Please master, I am certain he means to take me. Loan me your fastest horse so that I can get away.”

“But where will you go?” asked the merchant.

“I will go to Samarra,” explained the servant. “DEATH will not find me there.”

So the merchant gave his servant the fastest horse in his stables, and the servant rode swiftly off to the city of Samarra where he hoped to hide.

The merchant later went to the market to get his own supplies. While there he too saw DEATH. So he inquired of DEATH, “Why did you raise your hand to strike my servant a while ago?”

Death replied, “Actually I meant him no harm ast that moment. Raising my hand was a gesture of surprise. You see, I didn’t expect to find him here, for I have an appointment with him tonight at Samarra!”

The servant of Baghdad would discover that no matter how fast the horse not how far the journey, he could not escape his appointment with DEATH.

To allay you fear, here’s an amusing episode which bears out the best explanation of DEATH ever:

A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, ”Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side.”

Very quietly, the doctor said, “I don’t know.”

”You don’t know? You’re a Christian man, and don’t know what’s on the other side?”

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor said, ”Did you notice my dog? He’s never been in this room before. He didn’t know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing . . . I know my Master is there and that is enough.”

Have no trouble, have no fear

For God is near.

Put your faith & trust in Him

And He’ll guide you through thick & thin.