Do People Think About Death?

I met Tyler and Emily on the Boardwalk of Ocean City, Maryland.

The scene shown here is a typical late afternoon on the Boardwalk. As afternoon fades into night, families move down to the amusements. Teens and young adults line the storm wall (shown at far left) to watch and meet other night-owls.

This is a great place to witness to the lost. They have spare time, they're usually approachable, and if one person does not want to talk, you need to move only a few feet to begin a new conversation.

One this particular night I walked up to a young couple and offered a Million Dollar Bill tract. After a short conversation about how nice it would be if real, I moved on to one of my favorite questions: "What do you think happens when you die?"

I love this particular question. It gets right to the point, most people have thought about death and don't mind sharing their conclusions.

Not this time.

Tyler replied, "I don't know, I've never thought about it."

Emily, who was sitting by his side, holding his hand, apparently shared his lack of inquisitiveness. When I asked, "What about you? Have you thought about what happens after death?" She echoed his answer. "No, not really."

There was a time when I would have frozen when suddenly faced with someone who "never thought" about death. Oh. Well. Never mind then!

See, I'm the kind of person who tries to prepare for these conversations. Not only do I pray, but I also run through imaginary conversations in my head over and over, coming up with new challenges people might have and what responses I could give.

But once in a while, I'm thrown off. I remember one of my first witnessing encounters. I had prayed, read books, and gone through hundreds of conversations in my mind. I knew exactly how the conversation would start. Shortly after meeting a young man in the local mall, I asked, "What do you think happens when you die?"

I was all ready for the reply I just knew was coming. Once he said, "I'll go to heaven." I would move to my next question, "What do you think it takes for someone to make it into heaven?"

Unfortunately, he did not follow the script I'd neatly worked out in my head. He said, "Your body goes into the ground and rots."

"Oh. Umm. Uh..."

My mind was racing. He was not supposed to say that. He was supposed to say "Heaven" Now what?

I stammered something, then had a horrible conversation, and finally said "goodbye." I wondered if I'd ever try to share the gospel again.

Thankfully I soon recalled something Mark Cahill once told me: "The reason Michael Jordon is an amazing player now is that he dedicated himself to the sport, and practiced every chance he had."

So, I went back out. I started more conversations. I rehearsed more in my head. I learned from every rebuttal and question. Now, when someone like Tyler throws me a curve, like "I've never thought about it." I don't freeze.

Instead, I followed up: "Adolf Hitler. Is he in heaven, or hell today?"

"Hell" Tyler immediately responded.

"What about Mother Teresa? Do you think she's in heaven or hell?"

"Um, probably heaven," said Tyler. Emily agreed.

"So, you do think about it?" I was so glad that my practice was paying off.

Tyler, Emily, and I had a wonderful conversation. Before I told them good-night, they understood that they were liars, thieves, blasphemers, and adulterers at heart. They clearly understood that on Judgment Day they would stand guilty before God, and they were both very concerned. They also understood that their only hope of salvation was repentance and faith in Christ as Lord.

Please pray that Tyler and Emily have placed their trust in Christ.

Now get out there and practice!