In writing my book Crossing the Threshold of Eternity I had the opportunity to work with and learn a good deal from those who have had near death experiences. It is hardly common to have the chance to observe or hear from those who have had such an experience or to witness such an event as an individual moves from life to death. Even more challenging is communicating the importance of learning from such stories to a culture where “death” is something of a taboo topic.
In writing about these near-death experiences I note that many people have never seen any of these events happen and are therefore justifiably skeptical. As well, I give some of the reasons that even physicians may miss and therefor disregard these events. However, doctors like Raymond Moody and Elizabeth Kubler-Ross base their positive conclusion that these experiences do occur on their field work.
Despite the quantifiable evidence given by Moody and Kubler-Ross, my ultimate conclusion is that science and medicine aren’t going to give us the answers we seek. I conclude we must turn to the Bible and faith. (After all, Israel has the highest resurrection rate in the world.) The resurrection suggests that we can live in two different worlds, one physical and the other spiritual. In the Easter morning experience, the risen Christ brought these two worlds together because he had a foot in each one. My personal experience teaches that He continues to bring these world together.
This is something that people of faith must consider each and every day rather than trying to avoid. Death is not the end, as we may observe and learn from those who are close to passing from here to the final frontier. Not only must we recognize that this life is not all there is–we must strive to reconcile this truth with our day to day lives, asking how both worlds collide and how that may impact what we do today, tomorrow and next year.
Dr. Robert L. Wise 