One question to God about death.

In the class on death and dying last night, we each wrote one question to God about death. Here's the list we came up with. We didn't really answer them, (many of them have no real answer), but we did talk about how faith helps us respond to the mystery of death and the afterlife. It was interesting to me that many of the questions centered on the nature of heaven but only one of them asked what we need to do to get there. We assumed (rightly!) that our future with God is secure, but it is still a frightening prospect.

Here are the questions. Feel free to add your own in the comments.

• Do you promise absolutely to hold my hand while I die? I am afraid it’s going to be way too intense and painful.
• Will my death be quick or slow as I am – NOW anxious for our meeting.
• Dear God, will you be there with me or close to me?
• Do you know ahead when/how I will die? How far ahead?
• Could you describe in simple terms, that man, could understand, what does eternity look/feel like??
• Will I be able to be with my loved ones (human and animals); explain :)
• What is the afterlife like?
• What is heaven like and will we be reunited with loved ones from this life?
• Is it like going to sleep?
• What does it feel like to get to heaven and what can I do to get there?
• What should I be trying to improve?
• Will I know people, communicate with them, feel as if we’re all alive as we “talk?”
• In the afterlife, can I look over my family?
• How do you decide whether a person’s death will be quick or long (sudden or lingering)?
• Why can’t people who die talk/communicate etc. with us afterwards?
• Will I be able to talk to people I love?
• What can I expect after death? Will I meet my Mom and Dad again and will we know each other?
• Will all ill feelings be gone/erased without memory?
• Does it make any difference concerning the kind of life someone has led – to the suffering or lack of suffering of their death?
• When dead, can we comfort those we leave behind?
• Why is the idea of death so scary? Why is it so hard to overcome the pain of losing someone?
• Will I feel your presence and be reunited with those I’ve loved and lost to death?
• How is my denial of death keeping me from you?
• Are there hierarchical levels on the other side? If so, what does one have to do to go from one level to the next?
• Why did he have to die so soon?
• Why do you allow us to die?
• Do I get to meet all of my family and friends who have gone before me? And will I be educated on all the Secrets of the Universe?