27 June 2021

God did not make death,
and he does not delight in the death of the living.
For he created all things so that they might exist;
the generative forces of the world are wholesome,
and there is no destructive poison in them,
and the dominion of Hades is not on earth.
For righteousness is immortal.

Wisdom 1:13-15, 2:23-24, NRSV

These words were written at a time when many still believed that after death a person entered Sheol – a place of darkness or even of punishment. The writer wants to give the people a more positive, hopeful vision in which the love of God is so great that it does not end with physical death. Physical death, in this vision, becomes a way in which people enter a new and glorious life.

• • What hope do you think these words offered to the people of the time they were written?
  • What is your hope for life after physical death?

Pray for someone you know who has died recently and for those who mourn them.