Valerie is a 42-year-old, single, Reformed Christian lady who lives in Baltimore. She doesn't remember a time
before she knew and loved Jesus, but she does remember accepting John Calvin into her heart in March of 2000.
Valerie is a member of Christ Reformed Evangelical Church in Annapolis.
Though her career aspiration is to be a housewife, Valerie has not yet found anyone suitable who wishes to hire
her for employment in that field (or, more properly, anyone suitable has not found her), so in the meantime she
earns her daily bread working in communications -- editing, writing, print design and website management.
Why Do People Find This Comforting?
I have been to three funerals within seven weeks. I'd like to say, for the record, that I consider that Quite Enough, thankyouverymuch. In conjunction with each of these deaths, someone or multiple someones has/have said at some point or at multiple points, "He/she is looking down on us." Ugh! Creeps me the heck out every time. I've got no problem with God looking down on me. In fact I'd be pretty unhappy to learn that He wasn't. But the notion of my dead friends and relatives peering from on high makes me want to draw the blinds. Happily, I don't think voyeurism by the dead is supported in Scripture, so I can just put on my fake smile and not respond to the speaker. Some people really seem to find the concept comforting, though. I just don't get that perspective. Do you?
Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10:05 PM
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5 comments
5 Comments:
On July 18, 2008 10:55 PMAnonymouswrote... Not at all-- why would anyone want to look at me when the Lord Himself in all glory is available to look at? If they are looking at us, then it's probably not from Heaven, if they are at all entranced by this earth. I'm saying all this tongue in cheek. I see no Biblical evidence of folks looking at the earth and its inhabitants after death. ~Eleanor
On July 19, 2008 6:32 PMpentamomwrote... Well, I don't think the people who say that have thought it through to the point of asking themselves whether the departed are looking at them when they're in the shower -- they find it comforting to think that the departed one recognizes that we are thinking of them now and then, and sees what's up with us, etc.
I agree that it's not well supported biblically to think that they're spending a lot of time on us, particularly individual ones of them focusing on individuals here below, but OTOH, I wouldn't go so far as to say they never cast a glance downward. The saints in Revelation at least knew enough to know that God had not yet acted to avenge their martyrdom, for example, and seemed to have an awareness of the overall state of affairs here. If we are all part of one Body, then it follows that they in some sense still have a connection to us below.
On July 20, 2008 9:39 PMThe BadgerMumwrote... "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1)"
On July 21, 2008 2:27 PMpentamomwrote... You're right, but I was responding more to Eleanor. IMO it is going too far to say that any interest in earthly affairs is unimaginable.
