Will I be reunited with my loved ones after death?

Faith and hope for whatever happens next

Doug Heacock, contemporary worship leader, Lawrence Free Methodist Church, 31st and Lawrence Avenue:

In one of the most poignant scenes in the New Testament, not long before Jesus was arrested and crucified, he shared a final meal with his disciples, and after passing a cup of wine among them, he told them, “I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26:29) Clearly, Jesus expected to see his disciples again in heaven.

I do look forward to seeing departed friends and family there one day (those who have put their faith in Christ), but I suspect that our first inclination when we get there will not be to look for one another, but rather to worship God. Almost every glimpse of heaven that Scripture provides suggests that the main activity of heaven is worship in a climate of pure joy (see Revelation 5:11-13). Any loss or sorrow we have experienced will pale in the presence of the glory of God.

But the pain of loss of loved ones is nonetheless real in this life, and we can’t help but long to see them again. These lines from a hymn written by Katherine A. von Schlegel in 1752 have often comforted me and provided helpful perspective in the midst of such loss:

Be still, my soul; when dearest friends depart / And all is darkened in the vale of tears, / Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart, / Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears. / Be still my soul; thy Jesus can repay / From his own fullness all He takes away.

Send e-mail to dheacock@lfmchurch.org.

A transition into a new stage of being

Annola M. Charity, a Lawrence resident, is a Unity chaplain and attends Unity Church of Lawrence, 900 Madeline Lane:

Yes and no.

To understand my answer, I would like to first explain what I believe about death. Most “new thought” fellowships/churches believe that the life of our spirit (soul) is eternal. We use the term “transition” rather than death, since transition implies moving from one level of life to another. When we were born, we became incarnate, in the flesh. When we make the transition, we release the body and our spirit continues – a transition to that energy field of pure God.

God is love. And I believe that we are made of that sacred energy, the “image and likeness” of God and our being in its midst. All things exist in this energy essence of God. There is no death in the thought that it is the end of existence. Transition is like an ice cube melting in water. It is all water – God – at different stages of being.

Each person’s spirit has its own special frequency, or signature of being. So does our relationship with other people’s spirits. It is a comfort to me to believe that the loved ones who have made the transition are as close as my loving memory of them. Therefore, it is my belief that when we make our transition, we recognize our loved ones by their divine energy “pulse.” Not a physical recognition, but a spiritual one.

So no, we won’t be reunited with our loved ones after death, because we were never separated. But yes, we will feel, more than see, our loved ones in the wholeness of spirit, beyond this plane of reality.

Send e-mail to annolacharity@yahoo.com.