Why did Solomon say that the day of death is better than the day of birth? If we reflect on life carefully, death need not be a morbid thought. Whether we accept it or not, death has more to teach us about life. The fact that death is imminent tells us that “if we don’t live for something, we will die for nothing.” It also tells us that the duration between life and death is brief, we need to seize every opportunity and make the best of each moment. We must make every moment count and live it for the Lord. So, in Solomon’s consideration, “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.”
We must not see these verses as a denial of the good things in life. Bear in mind that Solomon was comparing the value between two things. In his comparison, he acknowledges that both are acceptable, but between the two, one is certainly better than the other. In these verses, he is not saying that celebration is not good. He, in fact, applauds it especially when we have reason to do so. He is not denying that life should have moments of laughter and rejoicing. However, he warns that excessive gaiety takes the seriousness out of living. In a party, the mood of most people is usually excited and expansive. People in celebration tend to forget the brevity of life, and that life’s length is also so transitory. This is not so in a house of mourning. The mood is usually more pensive. It helps us to consider the brevity of life and how to make our days count.
Going to the house of mourning is literally visiting a home where someone has passed away. In our context, it’s like visiting the wake of someone who has passed on. Going to a wake usually, make one’s spirit a little more morose. We can no longer deny the reality of our mortality. Especially so, when we have passed the prime of life. Suddenly we are more conscious of time than ever. Going to a funeral helps us to think more wisely about life and death, and the remaining time we have left to live. Psalm 90:12 is a good verse to reflect seriously in a moment like this. Like Moses, we must ask God, “To teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” It is true that we can gain more by going to one funeral than to a hundred parties. We certainly will gain more insights in one funeral service than a hundred celebrations.
The crux of the matter about dealing with death is this: it is about attaining the soundness of heart. Accept it or not, our heart is the wellspring of true living. This is where we think, feel, and make decisions pertaining to life. Managing our thoughts on death, and the sorrow it brings can certainly make us better people. We must accept the inevitability of death. Learn to see it as not the end of life but a part of life. Not the end but the beginning of a new phase of life. Not a defeat but a victory forever in the presence of God. And as we conclude here, bear in mind that death always leaves a heartache that needs time to heal, but love will leave a memory that’s hard to steal. All of us should make living, loving, learning and be leaving behind a legacy, the aim and goal of our life before our earthly life ends. Let us do it for His glory!
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