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\u201cFor to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body (Philippians 1:21-24).

Pastor Anthony included the opening words of our text in his meditation yesterday. These verses in Philippians are worth extended reflection for the Christian living in North American today. They help to do deal with our own impending death, a topic many people go to great lengths to avoid.

I think that it is fair to say that many people among whom we work and live do not know what to do with death. Historically, most people died at home, with family present. In many places this is still the case. But in our context, people die in hospitals or nursing homes, more frequently than in homes. Many die alone and their bodies are quickly moved to the morgue where the embalmer\u2019s art rapidly restores the body to a lifelike appearance.

Death is the worst possible event for those who believe that they have an inalienable right to \u201clife, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness\u201d. Our way of coping with it is to deny its existence. Thirty years ago, when someone died, it was expected that a funeral service would be held within three or four days. People had some notion of what they should do when their loved one died. Today, families will come to me and frequently say, \u201cWhat are we supposed to do?\u201d There are no cultural norms for responding to death. This is all part of the avoidance of it. Consider the effort people put into staying young and fit and the industries that promote the notion that getting old should be avoided at all costs.

Into this vacuum, Christians enter with a different story. Paul is writing from his prison in Rome. It is possible that he will be executed shortly. So, both Paul and the Philippians are confronted with the specter of his imminent death. Paul is conflicted in this passage. He sees advantages in dying and in staying alive to continue his ministry.

It\u2019s important to remember what Paul has been saying, \u201cLiving well means seeking the glory of Christ.\u201d That is what he has given his life to ever since he met Christ on the road to Damascus. When he dies, he will finally be with Christ, his sinfulness will no longer detract from Christ\u2019s glory. To borrow from another letter, \u201cFor now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known\u201d (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Christians believe that there is life after death, even resurrection of our physical bodies. And that life is better than this one. Many people living around us, do not have this hope. To be with Christ is far better than to be here, says Paul. Do you believe that?

Paul\u2019s conflict is that he also believes the Philippian church still needs his service. \u201cI desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.\u201d He is willing to stay. He is willing to sacrifice his own gain for the sake of the church. Again, he is demonstrating what he will later write, \u201cEach of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others\u201d (2:4). Paul genuinely considers his choice to live rather than to die to be the more difficult and sacrificial choice.

Let me put it plainly, physical life or death are not of ultimate importance to Paul. Living means carrying out his calling to preach Christ and dying means both the gain of conformity with Christ\u2019s death and fellowship with Christ. He hopes for the outcome that will most clearly advance the gospel of Christ. This can only strike us as strange if we have allowed the comforts of our present physical existence to have higher priority than Christ. Paul is astonishingly indifferent toward his own death. He invites us to take the same attitude.

This is not, of course, to say that mourning is out of place for the Christian when loved ones go to be with the Lord. The fact that they are with the Lord does not take away from our experience of loss. Tears are proper for believers. Jesus himself wept. We can face our own death with assurance, but not with indifference to those who will miss us.