The Dirty Truth About Life and Death

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 

Genesis 2:7

 

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

for he knows how we are formed,  he remembers that we are dust.

Psalm 103:13-14

You and I are made of clay. Our origins are dust. The breath of God brought this humble material to life.

Humility and humble originate from the Latin word humus. The original Latin humus means “soil,” and has modernly come to mean the organic component of dirt, formed by the decomposition of leaves and other plant material by soil microorganisms. The organic component means the part which is derived from living matter. Humus is living matter that is in the process of decomposition.

A wise gardener understands that the richest soil contains elements that were once living but are now decaying. The chemical process of decomposition provides the critical material needed for new life. The microorganisms at work during the decay process act upon the virgin seed deep in the soil, generating the process of new life and growth.

I am gripped today by the thought of decayed soil, those organic components which were once living, but must die in order to bring new life.

I resist the decayed soil of my life, the dying of components that were once living. 

I daresay that on some days I even hate the process of decomposition in me. 

Grieving the changing of life’s seasons. Letting go of the structured, delightful years of raising young children to embrace the new, unpredictable life of parenting young adults who think for themselves and must choose their own paths. Accepting my body as it changes with age. Releasing my need for purpose as I help others find theirs. Grieving with friends as children die, spouses leave, and loved ones move on to heaven, leaving the rest of us here examining the remaining days of our lives.

Yet all along, there is my Jesus, with me in all the seasons of change. He is Life and Hope, and beside Him, I need not despise the humility of being dust. He has given me life, and the life I have, even in decomposition, is eternal. My decomposition nourishes the birth and life of the next generation. And as the soil of my life grows richer, every time I choose to embrace the process, it becomes the Master Gardener’s choice soil for the growth of new life in others.

This is the secret. Decomposition is not an ending. It is a necessary beginning. 

Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. John 12:24

New life grows from old. The life of my former seasons feeds the life of my new season. Because of Jesus, life is continuous, flowing from one stage to the next. Even the ultimate death of our body, the death we all will face one day, is not the end.

I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Revelation 1:18

Jesus does not ask us to do what He Himself has not already done. God incarnate, He became man, enveloped in the humility of flesh, derived from dust. He did not despise the decaying soil of His life on earth. We watch Him yield again, and again, to the process of dying. He knew the power of life over death. His death would bear much fruit, and man would never be alone again. Through the life and death of Jesus Christ, humanity could live in relationship once more with God, eternally.

We are not the saviors of the world. But the Savior lives in us, and through the mysterious power of decomposition, we become His life-givers to the world.

Take a second look today at the #Halloween skeleton in your neighbor’s yard or the zombie guarding the door and remind yourself of the truth about death: For followers of Jesus, #death will always, and only, lead to life. Share on X

Lord, I yield to the ongoing process of death and life in me. Make me rich soil that produces abundant life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

@audreycfrank

Photo by Gabriel Jimenez on Unsplash