liv | (Reply)

From:

liv

Thanks for this, it's really interesting! I think you're right, people can't know if they're truly accepting of their own death until they actually have to face it. I think for me dealing with other people's death is a much more urgent problem. I mean, ok, I might be in a fatal accident tomorrow, but statistically it's likely that I will suffer several bereavements before I eventually die myself.

I do agree that liturgical optimism can be powerful in the right context. I like

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil

and, ugh, the BCP translation of Ps 90 misses a lot of nuance, they have:

You turn us back to the dust and say,
"Go back, O child of earth

which doesn't explain why I like it. You turn each mortal back to dust, and You say: "return, o children of humanity". Return to God [in repentance], not go back, 'go back' sounds like rejection. I like that Psalm because it addresses the fact that God creates suffering and death, and I feel more able to be sincere in hoping for redemption / resurrection if I don't have to handwave that away.