The mystery of life and death is a man and science has failed to clearly comprehend. The two are pivotal to our humanity and existence. They are vital moments in the lives of everyone – both male and female, young and old. One is the direct opposite of the other – the absence of one eventually leads to the other. Life is joy turned to sorrow in and by death. It is said that there are two momentous days in the life of a man – the day he was born and the day he dies. We are born to strive, live and eventually die – die rich or poor; fulfilled or not. However, the shape and size of the grave remains the same for all stratas of the society.
Generally, life and death is at the centre of our being and it is symbolic of the natural cycle of human reality. When one is born, people rejoice but when same person dies, the community mourns. Naked we came to this world and the same naked and empty shall the dead return. Except a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it will not yield hundred folds. Therefore, dying is a multiplicity of grains of life to be harvested at the happy end we least or hopefully envisaged. This opens our eyes to the inescapable sides of life – a mixture of both the sweet and bitter elements alike. What people should be conscious of is not only death in itself but the worst of life lived before death. And the worst death is that the man died without hope. He died devoid of peace of mind and love for ones neighbours.
For Christians, it is appointed once for man to die and after death comes judgment. Some believe in reincarnation while others think it is mere hallucination. Either of the two perspectives shapes one’s faith and it possibly works for the believer. And whether there is any judgment or not; the day one is born is the beginning of the countdown to one’s eventual exit. There is a cosmic divide between the living and the dead; the physical and the spiritual. Both commune in a natural, interplanetary transition and emission of cosmic energy influencing the entire creation. People’s belief in Christ does not only reinforce the fact that life is a transition but that all will surely die one day is enough reason not to worry. Some belief systems equally sees death as a journey to an unknown, peaceful and better but a distant location. Therefore, why should one still be afraid of the inevitable – death?
The wonders of science and technology especially in medical practices still grapple to demystify the mystery of life and death. It is good to adhere to doctors’ advice and their encouragement for routine medical checkup two or more times yearly to ascertain ones health status. However, most doctors never consulted or treated patients free of charge. This has compounded the fate of citizens in a nation with zero welfare or subsidy on family health. Many patients have been abandoned by health workers or detained for their inability to settle hospital bills while others have continued to pray for healing and Gods intervention on cases paracetamol could treat. With the level of hardship confronting citizens, proper feeding has become a luxury. Therefore, one has to eat well first before embarking on expensive hospital checkups.
In fact, many people have failed to make it out of hospital beds even though they were offered top notch medical attention at home and abroad. The nation recently mourned the passing of the immediate past president of the country, Muhammadu Buhari who died in a London hospital. May Allah accept his soul. His unfortunate exit and the attendant expressions of anger, support, joy and pain by citizens revealed the very essence of life and the vanity of it. At the end, no matter the angst or eulogies, what we live and die for bears false or true witness to our deeds when we are no more. It is not out of place to dream and aspire to greater heights in life. We all strive to live healthy within the confines of our income and resources. Incidentally, surviving the rigours of life does not necessarily depend on the amount one has in the bank. If money can buy life, many dead rich folks would have spent fortunes to stay alive. Here lies the mystery of life which is not in the hands of any mortal man who will encounter death someday.
Mortality rate stands at 54 in Nigeria while the global range is 73. The world is aware there is a time to die and the expected age bracket was already established. In view of the above, if you are above 54 years in Nigeria and the inevitable happens, your family should be rest assured that it was not the handiwork of any ogbanje or witches and wizards. Therefore, do the best you can for your peace and leave the rest; after all Christ died and became more glorious. So shall everyone take the semblance of Him in death.
It must be re-emphasised that our bodies are regularly and tirelessly at work; day in day out immediately we were born. When the organs get tired, cannot hold forte and break down; the breath ceases. Therefore, we should acknowledge the fact that life like every beginning definitely has an end. In life, men take pride in their goals and accomplishments; but in death the glory of God is revealed; while vanity and emptiness of the world is fully appreciated. Being optimistic and open to positive or contending forces and outcomes of life especially in sickness is ideal. If you have lost someone in the hospital before; you would have noticed the helplessness and limited powers of physicians to determine who lives when the curtain of life is about to be finally drawn. Hospitals, therefore, render health services in exchange for cash. They treat people with ailments and prevent sicknesses. God heals and saves lives. This gave rise to the popular maxim – doctors treat but God heals. In the end, every mortal was born and is destined to embark on that journey of no return. The birth of a man is a manifestation of hope, energy and the glorious beginning while death is a necessary end.
Sunday Onyemaechi Eze, lecturer, Department of Mass Communication and Head, Internationalisation and Partnership, Coal City University, Enugu
