Abstract
The book of Psalms wrestles with the fleeting nature of our earthly days and the inevitability of our demise: “LORD, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight. Surely everyone stands as a mere breath.” (Psalm 39:4–5)
Here the psalmist speaks to the swiftness of life, our desire to understand the implications of our mortality, and the inherent mystery of death.
If the biblical writers have left timeless reflections on death, our modern response is often one of denial. We talk about diets and exercise patterns that will prolong our days, surgeries that will restore youthful appearances, and how quickly we can “move on” from the loss of a loved one. Yet death and dying are central aspects of the human experience, and this issue of Interpretation offers four timely and creative perspectives on the topic.
First is the essay by Joel Kaminsky, who takes up our reluctance to deal candidly with health decisions, especially when it comes to end-of-life issues. He details how medical advances have led to a bewildering array of choices about prolonging life, without full consideration of the consequences. Kaminsky suggests we turn to the Hebrew Bible for wisdom in this area, particularly the idea that life and death exist on a continuum. Without the benefit of modern medicine, the daily lives of ancient Israelites were much closer to death than ours are, and therefore they reckoned with mortality more fully and honestly. Kaminsky helps us see with fresh eyes the value of their witness.
Next is the innovative article from Jim Wright, a physician who has dealt firsthand with COVID-19 patients at senior facilities over the last year. His essay addresses the ways in which we frequently desire to keep dementia patients in old habits, even as their minds and personalities might be changing. Wright suggests that we should celebrate and encourage the behaviors of those struggling with dementia if it brings them contentment. As many of the biblical books assert the impermanence and changeability of the human condition and our utter dependence on God for “life-breath,” Wright utilizes terminology from the Hebrew Bible in support of this important study.
In addition to being a leading voice on preaching, Thomas G. Long has devoted particular attention to the practice and conduct of funerals. He notes our culture’s regrettable loss of purpose after someone has died, such that funerals have becomes informal, often lavish efforts at comforting the bereaved rather than committing the soul of the deceased to God. Long cites the funeral as the ritual act that is to accomplish this sacred task, and he calls upon believers, particularly pastors, to focus once again on honoring the dead person and accompanying them on the journey from death to the promise of resurrection.
Finally, Dawn DeVries offers an autobiographical account of her journey with her husband, as he has experienced the deleterious effects of aging and dementia. Like the other authors in this issue, DeVries notes our tendency to avoid talking about death or preparing adequately for it, and she gives readers a poignant and descriptive account of the difficult yet joy-filled path she and her husband have taken in recent years. Writing with the insights of a theologian and a supportive spouse, her essay provides the helpful insight that aging can and perhaps should be a spiritual process.
Dean McBride
Courtesy of Union Presbyterian Seminary
On May 12, 2020, S. Dean McBride Jr., the Cyrus H. McCormick Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament Interpretation, Emeritus, at Union Presbyterian Seminary passed away at the age of 83. Dean McBride was a leading biblical scholar on the Pentateuch and mentor to generations of students. He contributed in many ways to Interpretation, and his essays have been among the most-accessed for decades. Dean was a witty, passionate, and generous colleague, and he explored with creative precision the content of Scripture on covenant, justice, and the relationship between death and life. It is a privilege to dedicate this issue in loving memory of Dean McBride.