The dust returns to the earth as it once was, and the life breath returns to God who gave it. Qoheleth has a long lament about old age and dying. He says enjoy one’s youth because before you know it your teeth are gone, your eyesight is bad, your hearing is worse. His rather cynical take on all this is a sort of epicurean “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.” One of the tropes of science fiction is the search for immortal youth. Moving toward death can cause terror — but not for believers. Jesus lived and died to show us a new way of thinking about our life here on earth. This is simply a chapter in the richer and deeper life we have with God. Time does not define us, eternity does. As we go through the inevitable process of aging we need to keep our focus on the triumph of Jesus at the resurrection. St.Augustine put it this way: We are Easter people and Alleluia is our song.
