Noah Webster Was Wrong

Peter Marshall

Peter Marshall was one of the most famous pastors of his day.  He'd been asked to speak at the Naval Academy, and was displeased with the sermon over which he'd toiled the entire week.  The Academy's chaplain told Marshall to speak what was in his heart, and Marshall wound up delivering what is considered to be one of his greatest sermons.

He told of a terminally ill boy who calmly asked his mother, "What is it like to die?"  She left the room to gather herself, then came back, knowing of the decision her son had made earlier in his life, and told him it was merely going to sleep and awakening on the other side.  About a week later, the boy let his mother know he wasn't afraid . . . and went to sleep. 

Dr. Marshall let the cadets know that to him, that was what death was like.  Merely going to sleep for the final time and crossing over into the Promised Land.  Dying was merely a transition for Christians.  After his sermon, he didn't know why he'd preached on death, but felt that he'd had to.  On the way home, he heard on the car radio that Pearl Harbor had been bombed.  It was December 7, 1941 and Dr. Marshall realized that within a short time, many of those cadets would no longer be among the living.

If you look up death in Webster's Dictionary, Noah Webster has defined it as "The end of life."  If Webster's definition is correct, then we're in a lot of trouble.  It also means the Bible is wrong.  But to a Christian, death is merely a transition to a far, better place and we need not mourn for those who've passed.  We can celebrate their lives, which is what they'd prefer, but if we're going to mourn, then do so for ourselves.  And keep it short . . . those who've passed would detest long wakes.

We all have lost someone we hold dear.  But they have left us precious memories and someday we'll be reunited with them.  Remember them and cherish the time we had with them.  Our mementos can be lost, but our memories of these people?  Never.