Do not come when I am dead
To sit beside a low green mound,
Or bring the first gay daffodils
Because I love them so,
For I shall not be there.
You cannot find me there.
I will look up at you from the eyes
Of little children;
I will bend to meet you in the swaying boughs
Of bud-thrilled trees,
And caress you with the pasionate sweep
Of storm-filled winds;
I will give you strength in your upward tread
Of everlasting hills;
I will cool your tired body in the flow
Of the limpid river;
I will warm your work-glorified hands through the glow
Of the winter fire;
I will soothe you into forgetfullness to the drop, drop
Of the rain on the roof;
I will speak to you out of the rhymes
Of the Masters;
I will dance with you in the lilt
Of the violin,
And make your heart leap with the bursting cadence
Of the organ;
I will flood your soul with the flaming radiance
Of the sunrise;
And bring you peace in the tender rose and the gold
Of the after-sunset.
All these have made me happy;
They are a part of me;
I shall become a part of them.
Juanita de Long
...death is not a thing to be feared... Death, is either to be totally disregarded, if it entirely extinguishes the soul, or is even to be desired, if it brings him where he is to exist forever. A third alternative, at any rate, cannot possibly be discovered. Why then should I be afraid if I am destined either not to be miserable after death or even to be happy? After all, who is such a fool as to feel certain - however young he may be - that he will be alive in the evening?
...I rather think Ennius says better:
"None grace me with their tears, nor weeping loud
Make sad my funeral rites!"
He holds that a death is not a subject for mourning when it is followed by immortality.
...I have convinced myself, and I hold - in view of the rapid movement of the soul, its vivid memory of the past and its prophetic knowledge of the future, its many accomplishments, its vast range of knowledge, its numerous discoveries - that a nature embracing such varied gifts cannot itself be mortal. And since the soul is always in motion and yet has no external source of motion, for it is self-moved, I conclude that it will also have no end to its motion, because it is not likely ever to abandon itself. Again, since the nature of the soul is not composite, nor has in it any admixture that is not homogeneous and similar, I conclude that it is indivisible, and, if indivisible, that it cannot perish.
...we have the elder Cyrus on his deathbed speaking as follows:
"Do not suppose, my dearest sons, that when I have left you I shall be nowhere and no one. Even when I was with you, you did not see my soul, but knew that it was in this body of mine from what I did. Believe then that it is still the same, even though you see it not. The honours paid to illustrious men had not continued to exist after their death, had the souls of these very men not done something to make us retain our recollection of them beyond the ordinary time. For myself, I never could be persuaded that soul while in mortal bodies were alive, and died directly they left them; nor, in fact, that the soul only lost all intelligence when it left the unintelligent body. I believe rather that when, by being liberated from all corporeal admixture, it has begun to be pure and undefiled, it is then that it becomes wise. And again, when man's natural frame is resolved into its elements by death, it is clearly seen whither each of the other elements departs: for they all go to the place from which they came: but the soul alone is invisible alike when present and when departing. Once more, you see that nothing is so like death as sleep. And yet it is in sleepers that souls most clearly reveal their divine nature; for they foresee many events when they are allowed to escape and are left free. This shows what they are likely to be when they have completely freed themselves from the fetters of the body. Wherefore, if these things are so, obey me as a god. But if my soul is to perish with my body, nevertheless do you from awe of the gods, who guard and govern this fair universe, preserve my memory by the loyalty and piety of your lives."
........
Again, is there not the fact that the wisest man ever dies with the
greatest cheerfulness, the most unwise with the least? Don't you think that the soul which has the clearer and longer sight sees that it is starting for better things, while the soul whose vision is dimmer does not see it? For my part, I am transported with the desire to see your fathers, who were the object of my reverence and affection. Nor is it only those whom I knew that I long to see; it is those also of whom I have been told and have read, whom I have myself recorded in my history. When I am setting out for that, there is certainly no one who will find it easy to draw me back, or boil me up again like second Pelios. Nay, if some god should grant me to renew my childhood from my present age and once more to be crying in my cradle, I would firmly refuse; nor should I in truth be willing, after having, as it were, run the full course, to be recalled from the winning - crease to the barriers. For what blessing has life to offer? Should we not rather say, what labour? But granting that it has, at any rate it has after all a limit either to enjoyment or to existence. I don't wish to depreciate life, as many men and good philosophers have often done; nor do I regret having lived, for I have done so in a way that lets me think that I was not born in vain. But I quit life as I would an inn, not as I would a home. For nature has given us a place of entertainment, not of residence.
Oh, glorious day when I shall set out to join that heavenly conclave and company of souls, and depart from the turmoil and impurities of this world! For I shall not go to join only those whom I have before mentioned, but also my son Cato, than whom no better man was ever born, nor one more conspicuous for piety. His body was burnt by me, though mine ought, on the contrary, to have been burnt by him; but his spirit, not abandoning, but ever looking back upon me, has certainly gone whither he saw that I too must come. I was thought to bear that loss heroically, not that I really bore it without distress, but I found my own consolation in the thought that the parting and separation between us was not to be for long.
It is by these means, my dear Scipio, - for you said that you and Laelius were wont to express surprise on this point, - that my old age sits lightly on me, and is not only not oppressive but even delightful. But if I am wrong in thinking the human soul immortal, I am glad to be wrong; nor will I allow the mistake which gives me so much pleasure to be wrested from me as long as I live. But if when dead, as some insignificant philosophers think, I am to be without sensation, I am not afraid of dead philosophers deriding my errors. Again, if we are not to be immortal, it is nevertheless what a man must wish - to have his life end at its proper time. For nature puts a limit to living as to everything else. Now, old age is, as it were, the playing out of the drama, the full fatigue of which we should shun, especially when we also feel that we have had more than enough of it.
...if it were possible that some god should carry us away from these haunts of men, and place us somewhere in perfect solitude, and then should supply us in abundance with everything necessary to our nature, and yet take from us entirely the opportunity of looking upon a human being. Who could steel himself to endure such a life? Who would not lose in his loneliness the zest for all pleasures? And indeed this is the point of the observation of, I think, Archytas of Tarentum. I have it third hand; men who were my seniors told me that their seniors had told them. It was this: "If a man could ascend to heaven and get a clear view of the natural order of the universe, and the beauty of the heavenly bodies, that wonderful spectacle would give him small pleasure, though nothing could be conceived more delightful if he had but had some one to whom to tell what he had seen."
Marcus Tullius Cicero, 65 BC
Translation: E.S. Shuckburg
Cralor, Chief Angel to the Most High, was winging his way through the universe at only a few times the speed of light. He needed the time to think. Cralor had a problem - not an unusual situation for the Chief Angel - but this was different, perplexing, unlike anything that he had ever confronted before. The problem was with a human named George.
Ordinarily, intimate contact with humans on the material plane was left strictly to sub-angels. After all, the low vibrations of mortals were very upsetting to someone of Cralor's high status. But George had proven an obstacle to every angel along the chain of command and finally Cralor had been personally given the task of reasoning with this strange creature.
There had never been a case before, at least not one that he knew of, where a man had been able to remain so steadfast against the world beyond. Usually they were awed by a visit from even the freshest persuader. But, as his underlings had pointed out, what could you do if he refused? Cralor sighed. Free will definately could have its drawbacks.
He sensed that he was in the vicinity of the planet Earth and slowed at exactly the proper coordinates. He began to prepare himself for the distasteful dimension change he would have to make in order for the man George to become aware of his presence. He squinted his astral eyes and peered into the next world. He still had not decided what course of action to take.
As Cralor's vision cleared, he found himself in a small room, very clean, he thought, but the furnishings were scarcely enough for human comfort. A bed, a table for eating, and a large overstuffed chair with an end table beside it. The end table was the only disorderly part of the room. On it were strewn bottles of medicine, a cup of water (quite stale by the looks of it), and a teaspoon. There was also (he shuddered) a glass jar which proudly displayed a full set, tops and bottoms, of false teeth. The room seemed empty, still, utterly quiet. But then Cralor sensed a life force, not a strong one by any means, but it was there, pulsing with a living constancy. It emanated from the large chair and he shifted around to get a better look.
In the chair sat the remains of George. Cralor could think of no other way to describe what he saw; the remains of a human man. He seemed no bigger than a child in the very large chair. He was shrunken and shriveled in an arthritic parody of human form to a point where he had almost assumed an embryonic pose.
Buried in what seemed to be the middle of the ancient flesh was what was obviously his head. Cralor gazed in wonder at the face. It was an incredible mass of lines; dark, cavernous wrinkles. The eyelids were closed over two sunken sockets. He seemed to be asleep. Around him was wrapped an old and tattered blanket held tight to his chest by gnarled, misshapen hands.
"Who's there?" the voice squeaked from the man. It startled Cralor. George should not have been aware of the Angels' presence, not yet. The old eyelids lifted heavily, slowly, and the blind eyes, all color gone from them, stared directly at Cralor.
"Who is it?" he asked again. Cralor cleared his throat so that he could vocalize in the third dimension.
"I am an Angel, George," he said solemnly, "I have come to escort you to the next world."
The man George seemed to consider this for a long moment. Then he spoke.
"You the top man?"
The audacity of the creature! Luckily, Cralor was blessed with an abundance of patience.
"I am second in command only to the Most High himself," he said gently, "and if you will loose the cord which binds you to this life, I will take you to a place of peace and rest. You will be happier than you have ever been on this Earth. Come with me now, George. Your time is at hand." And he beamed his most benevolent aura at the old man.
George sniffed. 'Fergit it," he snorted, "I ain't goin'."
Well, the regular procedure hadn't worked. Cralor had been warned by those who had tried before that it wouldn't. Now he would try reasoning. His voice was calm and gentle and patient.
"George," he said with an Angel's compassion, "why is it that you want to stay here in this life? You are old. Your body is worn out and no longer functions for you. I can offer you a healthy, strong spirit body. You would go to a place where it is beautiful. You would do work on the next plane to help those still chained to this world to progress. You have lived a long and full life and you have had more than your share of sorrow. Come with me now to your rightful reward."
"Nope."
"But why, George?"
The wrinkled lips parted in an attempt at something like a smile. He spoke. "It ain't so bad here. At least I know for sure what I'm into. And how do I know fer sure that you're who you say you are?"
Cralor was puzzled. His angelic validity had never been questioned before. "But I am an Angel, George. Don't you believe me?"
"Do a miracle."
Now, even an Angel's patience can wear a little thin.
"One cannot simply 'do' miracles! They must have a definite purpose and be specifically authorized!"
George sniffed again. "Hmph," he said, "second in command and you can't even do a miracle. And you expect me to just give up livin' and come gallyvantin' around the universe with you?! Why, you'd probably get us lost before we hit that Van Allen thing-ee-ma-bob!"
"George, the time for talking is over! I have been specifically commissioned to take you to the next world, and you will come with me now! You, by your stubborn unwillingness to accept the ways of life and death, are upsetting the balance of things. The Most High Himself has taken a personal interest in your case and wishes this matter to be concluded as soon as possible."
"Good," said George in an obstinate tone, "then let Him come and see me and I'll talk it over with Him. I never did like dealing with Number Two."
"But that just isn't done, George! Do you have any idea how busy the Most High is, the responsibilities that He carries and the burdens? Why...why, He just doesn't have the time!"
"Time," replied George, "is relative. And let me ask you a question while we're at it, Mr. Bigshot Angel. Ain't I every bit as important as everybody else in the whole universe?"
Cralor sighed, "All things are equally worthy in His eyes."
"Well, then..."
"George..." Cralor began, but as he looked into those blind, unseeing eyes he knew that it was no use. He could not budge the man.
His voice took on a formal tone. "Very well, I will relay your message to the Most High." And with that he vanished into the next dimension.
Cralor headed back at well below the speed of light; thinking, worrying. This wasn't going to look good on his record. But he had done his very best! He had tried! What an amazingly stubborn creature this George was. How uncommon! Then he shuddered at a new thought and the whole universe around him seemed to shake in apprehension.
What if he isn't uncommon? What if he isn't the last?
Leya Zeke
staff writer
The Gathering, Vol. 2 Issue 1
(c) 1994 The Gathering
Midvale, Utah
...What happens after death? Is there a life beyond the grave? If so, is it possible to communicate with those who have "passed over?" Can you contact dead relatives and friends, or famous persons in history?
Virtually all civilizations have had some form of belief in an afterlife. The idea that the spirits of those who have "passed over" can make contact with the living is today popular mainly because of the modern craze for "channeling."
"Channeling" is part of the fast-growing "New Age" movement, a modern-day mysticism that draws from Buddhism, Hinduism and Western occultism, among other traditions...
...The [channeled] spirits claim a variety of identities. Some declare they are deceased former humans - discarnate or disembodied spirits of ancient wise men or medieval seers. Others say they are famous person from history, such as George Washington, Winston Churchill, Napoleon or even Jesus Christ. Others purport to be personalities from the future. Many claim to be "off-planet beings" - extraterrestials from other planets or galxies. Some say they are non-physical personalities or intelligences that exist on other levels or dimensions of reality. Some allege they are angels...
...Channeling is an ancient occult art that has existed since the dawn of human history...
...The famous stage magician Harry Houdini spent 30 years investigating alleged examples of communication with the spirit world. He said he had not "found one incident that savored of the genuine." He claimed he could duplicate any effect produced in a seance by purely physical means...Other investigators have agreed that much alleged spiritism is fraud. But are all mediums fakes?
By no means!
There are serious mediums - or channelers, as they are called today - who have stood up to the most rigorous scrutiny of investigators...
...Channeling, mediumship and spiritism are often nothing more than a fraud perpetrated on gullible people. Sometimes it is the channel who is gullible. In some cases sincere channels may believe they are being used by seperate, other-wordly entities, but in actuality are not. Psychic researchers believe that channeling is often a self -generated experience. The channels are simple "going within." It is their own inner subconscious speaking, not some outside entity. It is thus often not a matter of conscious fraud.
Not all spirit phenomena can be adequately explained as fraud. There are some manifestations for which no entirely satisfactory explanation has been offered - other than actual spirit contact. But are they spirits of the dead?
...When you seek to contact the "other side," you are exposing yourself directly to the influence of Satan and the demons, who seek to confuse you...a potential exists of being strongly influenced or even possessed by hostile spirits - demons - who desire to gain control over the minds of human beings.
...There have been rare occasions when angels appeared to human beings, with a message from God. At such times, the angel makes sure the person they contact knows what is happening...
********
...When we approach the world of the supernatural, we come in contact with powerful forces, and they are not all friendly. People who are desperate, thrill seekers - or even just curious - can quickly get into trouble. It is no place to wander without a guide...
...From the Bible we know there are other powerful beings in heaven known as angels. Most of them are benevolent, friendly and helpful. They often appear in the Bible record acting as agents or messengers for God or serving and protecting human beings. Although occasionally angels do manifest themselves in something resembling human form, they are not bound by physical limitations. They are created, eternal beings in the spirit world.
We cannot, as human beings, enter that world. We were created to live in a physical environment, dependent on air, food and water. However, the Bible tells us that it is God's intention that mankind will eventually become immortal and enjoy eternal life in a spirit realm...
...Satan was once a powerful angel called Lucifer - the light bringer. He became perverted, wrapped up in his own power and beauty. In an outburst of envy and jealousy, he led one third of the angels in a rebellion against the authority of God...
...Satan and the demons would like to be our spiritual guides. They know few of us would choose them voluntarily, but we can be deceived, when we are tempted by curiosity or ignorance, to seek the spiritual in the wrong way...
********
...Although the Bible shows that human beings are not reincarnated, it also shows that lying spirits or demons have been around since long before man. They remember what took place in the past. When a person's mind becomes receptive to suggestion, such as may occur under hypnosis, it is possible for a spirit to recite historically verifiable information through the human...
...[all] will be given the opportunity to learn about salvation in a beautiful world of peace on earth under God's government...there is no need for reincarnation.
********
...Eternal life in the spirit world with all its splendor is waiting for us. "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have enetered into the heart of men the many things which God has prepared for those who love Him." (I Corinthians 2:9)
The Spirit World
(c)1990, 1991 Worldwide Church of God
Pasadena, California
Kevin
The Unbelievers BBS
Salt Lake City, Utah