The Fear of Death (#1016)
"Fear makes us selfish," and no fear more so than the fear of death. A book Wayne recently read provoked his thinking about death and how the fear of it can make people act in destructive ways. So, he and Kyle discuss the fear of death, and how Jesus came to free those who are enslaed to it. Instead of helping people find that freedom, Christianity has often added to people's anxiety about death by threatening them with the consequences that could lie behind it. How would people be in the world if they no longer feared dying, but saw it as a transformation, much like the caterpillar yielding to the chrysalis? Both expressed their hope for a future where relationships are restored and wounds are healed.
Podcast Notes:
- The video recording of this podcast
- Just Love, referred to in this podcast, is a book Wayne is writing with Tobie van der Westhuizen from South Africa. We hope to have it available in February 2026.
Podcast: Download
Subscribe: RSS
Yes, I know we got a bit ahead of yourselves. My bad. This is season 22 not 23. Should have done the research before hitting record. 😉
I enjoyed this podcast, Wayne & Kyle, especially your discussion about death and the fear of it. It reminded me of a book I read a few years ago by Jennifer Worth titled In the Midst of Life. (Jennifer also wrote the Call the Midwife series.) I listened to the audiobook, then had my elderly mother read it. Afterward, we talked about it together since I am her primary caregiver. It was one of those life-changing books.
Thanks again to both of you for your podcasts!
Hi Wayne
Enjoyed the podcast on death and for the reasons you shared I do not fear the “point of death” itself either. However … your discussion with Kyle caused me to reflect on the time before and after death where I think fear (and being afraid) can also come into play.
I do wonder with “some fear” how my dying process might play out. How much pain, discomfort, agony to myself and what might be inflicted on others in the process. [My brother recently lost his wife of 55 years with dementia and in the process took the brunt of her behavior and outbursts caused by the disease]. Could Jesus have felt fear on the Mount of Olives when in Luke it says that “His sweat was like drops of blood”?
The other aspect of the dying process that involves elements of fear is how will my spouse of 50 years forge ahead … or my fear of losing her in death. Death can leave a big hole in another’s life.
Just reflecting on the broader picture … at least how I view it today. Welcome any thoughts.
I hear you, John. The uncertainty of how life might unfold toward its end can cause some anxiety. Having been through this with enough people over the years, I know there is grace inside of Jesus to walk through anything that comes. Sara and I have talked about this and what it would be like for either one of us to finish up without the other. Sure, it won’t be easy, but when the time comes, we’ll have what we need because our Father is faithful. That isn’t pie-in-the-sky thinking to us; it’s a firm conviction and source of rest. It allows us to enjoy this season of life and know we’ll both be able to adjust when the time comes.
I don’t know that Jesus felt fear in the Garden. Distress, certainly, at the rigorous death he was going to die, but he nonetheless resolved it there with his Father, and was then able to walk through the events ahead without that distress. Or so I think…