The paradox of life and death: a Christian perspective

Abstract

It is a matter of fact that life and death are inseparable phenomena in human existence. Both ensure an essential juxtaposition that seem to sustain mystical convictions across religions. Christianity traces the origins of life to God. Death is the end of all life’s cycle such as birth, puberty, marriage, old age, among others. Historically, questions pertaining to life and death have troubled the minds of humans. The mysteries of life and death are unarguably the most contested of all mysteries in the world. Individuals have asked: “What is the meaning of life?” “Why must we die?” This paper attempts to answer these questions by examining the concepts life and death in Christianity from the stand point of the Old and New Testaments. Through an analytical study of these concepts, the paper posits that, according to Judeo-Christian eschatology, that life stems from God and death is the fate of all living beings. Christianity’s understanding of life is fundamentally anchored on God’s expression of his love and compassion for those who repent of their sin and his readiness to forgive them through the death and resurrection of his son, Jesus. This paper evaluates how death, on the other hand, has been described as a road that leads to another life.