Our creation fulfils one  great purpose, it allows God to express His love.  God is Love and so he needs to express himself  to give purpose to his existence, just as an artist needs to perform or a fish needs to swim, so then God achieves his purpose by  creating us.

Our Salvation therefore has to reach beyond this temporal life or else Why would our Eternal God create us.  If there was nothing beyond this , the Vale of temporal life, what would be the point of our existence?  When we look at the natural world around us we see that every plant and animal has a purpose, why would we be any different?

To not know God, to have life without purpose and meaning, may allow some to live happily drifting in idleness, free to play and sing to dance and party, to lead a , a life without gravity or greatness.  But when death is understood as a part of the journey the time we have here in these temporal bodies takes on more significance.

For those that really appreciate and comprehend the value of our sometimes short and tough existences in these vessels there is a focus on a more fulfilling and rich existence.

Thus the value of the temporal can be more greatly appreciated when we understand it will not always be with us.  just as the day ends and the night starts so it is with us.  we have but one life and we must make the most of the opportunity given to us.

Death is not an enemy but a friend, although we do not welcome death before we have lived a full life we can, though our faith, understand that, death is not a state of finality, death is not our executioner, on the contrary death is our liberator.

Death calls us to a life beyond the temporal.  we need to remember we were created to be eternal and to exist beyond the limits of time.  once we accept this truth our life is enlarged and we lifted above the immanency of the present and saved from the tyranny of the petty things that take place in this world

2 Corinthians 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord;

The question of immortality  can be seen as a foundation stone of morality.  When there is no belief in the future beyond this temporal existence individuals let loose the bond of the moral and give in to the wickedness of sin.

It can not be over stated that the contemplation and understanding of immortality lifts life to higher levels.

we do however have to ensure that we do not focus too much on the beyond and forget the now.  We should not be looking to escape this life but embrace it and follow the example that Jesus showed us though his time here.  It is possible to live a full and rich life no matter how long we are given here.

The realisation that we are on a path to immortality allows each passing day to take on a new significance as we grow and learn.  we have victory and loss along the way but though it all God is there supporting and helping us to prepare for what lies beyond the Veil of this temporal world.

So while we may mourn the loss of loved ones we should also be happy and exited for they are starting a new adventure and it is a path that we will one day accompany them on…