WITH JESUS BY OUR SIDE, WE LOOK BEYOND DEATH, FULL OF HOPE

V SUNDAY OF LENT - Jn 11:1-45

The fear of death

Even though death surrounds us, we never get used to it and are always frightened of it, being perceived as the enemy of all our hopes and expectations, and presenting itself to us as a curse. People have always been confronted with the problem of death and have always tried all kinds of means to exorcise it, but to no avail.

There is a terrible fear of death, and death is not accepted. Deep inside the hearts of people, there is the conviction that we should be immortal; and the suffering, the destruction, the darkness and the evil that accompany death are considered as coming from the evil one(s).

Funerals, a time of solidarity and of suspicion and accusations

Funerals are always a time for solidarity, but they are as well a time of mutual suspicions and accusations. Two weeks ago, on a Sunday afternoon, I was present in a village funeral. The deceased, still quite young, left behind two wives and several children. The younger wife was also very sick and died a few days later. The funeral service took place at home, just outside the house, and from there we went to the cemetery. The ones carrying the coffin were drunk; and for a moment, as they reached the road, started moving aimlessly, going into the bush. One could see the expectation in the faces of many people. It is common to have what they call Kikondo, where the carriers of the coffin run in all directions, until they hit someone with the coffin, accusing that person of having killed the deceased through means of witchcraft. However, out of certain respect and fear of the sacred, experienced in the funeral service, they quickly turned back to the road and reached the cemetery in order. Then coming back, some said aloud for me to hear: Bible! Bible! What for all this Bible?

Whenever someone dies, suspicions and accusations are rampant. And anybody can be seen as the witch who has eaten the soul of the person just buried, thus causing his death. The fear of death and the rejection of our human mortality go together with a tremendous fear of witchcraft, which is seen as all powerful and as permeating all levels of society.

Jesus is the Resurrection and Life

In this Sunday's gospel, Jesus presents himself as the Resurrection and Life, after having revealed himself before as the giver of living water and as the Light of the world.

Death brings always a sense of loss, which led Jesus to cry for his friend, even though he had talked about Lazarus as being just asleep, a sleep from which he was going to wake him up.

Having Jesus by our side, we are able to approach death with our hearts full of hope. Death will not pronounce the last word over our lives, and we are able to look beyond death, preparing to go through it and throw ourselves in God's arms even though with trembling hearts.

With Martha, we must profess our faith, which is the faith of the Christian Church: "I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world" (Jn 11:27).