Dead Good

This blog has spoilers from last week’s Doctor Who and the first episode of Hunted, and maybe Jesus Christ Superstar – if you don’t know the story of Holy Week.

I’ve been thinking recently about death. I’m not trying to be morbid I’m just thinking Is there such a thing as a good death?

I sometimes get emails that are titled ‘sad news’ these are often from the district office telling of a Superhuman who has died. And this week I got an email from the circuit local preachers secretary saying we had lost one of our own.

There seems to be a lot of death at the moment. My life often goes in waves, there’s a few months where everyone gets engaged, then we have months of weddings, or everyone we know is pregnant – they aren't but it feels like it. But right now it seems to be there is a lot of death around.

Boyfriend and I watched the first episode of Hunted yesterday on iPlayer. It’s a show where a lot of people were shot, but the most significant death was that of the unborn child when the mother ( the main character) was shot in the stomach. She then goes on to be undercover pretending to be an American whose husband and son died and is now teaching a young boy whose mother committed suicide last year. The conversation with the father was an obvious pointing out to the phrase ‘I lost my wife’ going on to say something along the lines of ‘well that’s silly, she died’

On a side note it was rather exciting as that scene was filmed at the boat house in Regents Park where boyfriend, his best friend and I had hired a pedalo the day before. (Obviously the day before we watched it, not the day before they filmed it).

Doctor Who last week – which again I watched via the internet after the event - was yet again all about death. Most episodes with Rory in seem to though! After watching Rory die in a life that had been all on his own it was great to see Rory and Amy’s name on the same tome stone dying at an old age. For The Doctor they have died, but actually we know they have lived a long life together.

Death is sad as it takes out the future, all the plans and dreams. So much in life is about second chances and re-sits, death shocks us as there is no going back. I've heard stories recently of people coming to terms with terminal illness, and have really felt at peace. How incredible.

Even the word dead we use to mean so many things – 'dead tired', 'dead on my feet' and 'like death warmed up' are all phrases we use when we are not our best. But 'dead happy' and 'dead on' both seem to make less sense, very happy, right on. Why use dead at all?

When I was told about the local preacher who had died the other person with us made some comment about him dying on his own terms, in his own house, not having to be in hospital, not losing his independence. A good death?

Last night Mum, Dad, Boyfriend and I went to see Jesus Christ Superstar. It was such an incredible production. Bringing the story right up to date, and with Tim Minchin, Chris Moyles and Mel C (who was always my favourite Spice Girl) all I can say is WHAT A SHOW! The one thing that bugged me was how it ends with death. I often joke that we can forgive in church as that is what our faith is all about, but maybe it’s more about death and life. And by that I mean life before death as well as after death. My faith has never been about a get out of hell free card, I’m not sure it would matter if there was no heaven or hell, and that living my life to the full in a way that enables others to live too is enough for me.