Death plays an important part in the holidays.
I’m talking both about the fictional personification and the biological stage in life.
I’ve made a personal study of the popular vision of death in the past, and I find him to be one of the most intriguing characterizations our modern consciousness. If I but provide the sketchiest outline, the mind’s eye easily fills in the lines.
We know the slow drifting, yet inescapable spectre that is clad in a black robe that always seems to flitter like the breeze, even in the calmest of nights. A hood is draped forward, so facial characteristics are difficult to discern. Taking a closer look is disparaged because the dark host might take offense and one is loathe to see what lies beneath the drooping cowl. The other primary accessory, in addition to the robe, is the sharpened, sinister scythe. Clutched with a bony hand, the sharp edge luminous in the moonlight, it is a reminder of the unavoidable, sharp end that comes to us all.
The most widespread example is found in Charles Dickens’s Christmas Carol. Don’t believe me? Reexamine the text.
The dark, fourth spectre is obviously Death. It makes sense that following a time with an old acquaintance (Marley), the past, and the present, Death comes last. Sure, the stated title is “Ghost of Christmas Future,” but isn’t death in all our futures? He illustrates the themes of loss and lifelessness.
The yawning, open grave is the ultimate reminder of what awaits everyone, and the thought of ending life without accomplishing anything of note is what shocks Scrooge more than anything else. After plunging into the gaping pit, Ebenezer wakes up to Christmas morning and is changed thanks to the experience. He becomes known as a man who truly knows how to keep Christmas well.
If you don’t like Victorian literature, I would challenge you to consider “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Here, we learn that much a single person can make an impact.
Thanks to the interference of a near-death experience and a diligent angel, we learn that a good life un-lived is just as damaging as a poor life fully lived.
Removing one person from the timeline allows a series of wrongs to go otherwise uncorrected. Having been negated from the equation, only then does “the richest man in town” realize how wealthy he is. And while all troubles are not completely settled at the end of the film, having seen what influence an early Death would wreck, we are all left with a positive outlook for the future (either that, or you’re the cynical type that wasn’t bothered when Old Yeller or Bambi’s mom got snuffed).
Moving along from celluloid visions, we have to admit that death is a natural part of the cycle, and this impact is more keenly felt over the holidays.
This time of year if often a time of reflection. And even more so than Veterans’ Day, or other observances of memoriam, we seem to remember lost friends and loved ones during this time.
There’s the spot around the family circle that is vacant, the stocking that won’t be filled with goodies this year, the old, reliable friend who won’t be making an appearance.
Different people feel this in different ways, but it all makes one emotionally wince one way or another. Too often our losses are silently mourned, and I don’t think this is wise. Leaving such thoughts unvoiced isn’t healthy and doesn’t show our departed ones proper respect. If you miss them, you should say something. Trying to keep all those bristling emotions contained is painful, and ultimately, won’t be successful.
Death deserves a spot at our holiday table, but we shouldn’t let him overshadow the festivities because there’s another side of the coin.
Death reminds us the importance of life. And we can learn a lesson from the most important birth this tired, battered globe has seen.
The arrival of Jesus Christ, the Son of God taking human form, is the reason for the season. It’s an often repeated phrase, though one that is sometimes forgotten, but the birth of Christ would mean nothing if it didn’t lead to His death.
Easter is months away, but had Jesus not lived a sinless life and become the spotless sacrifice, the whole “experiment” would have been a failure. Life without His Death would be meaningless.
Don’t get me wrong. I am still deeply pained when I see someone pass away “before their time” (and it rarely seems to occur on time by my schedule). There are smiling faces I’ll only be able to see in old snapshots, this Christmas.
Still, I have hope for the future. I believe God gives us a reason to keep going. And I’m thankful for the lessons death can teach us, should we choose to listen.
