Death is the last taboo

I must be the only person who didn't react negatively when the Chaser boys had the skit this week that caused all the media frenzy: "The Make a Realistic Wish" foundation. In case you've somehow missed it, basically the program made fun of dying children making unrealistic wishes and wanted to make them more "realistic".

Now, I was watching this alone at home by myself and I didn't really blink an eye. I didn't think it was particularly funny, but I didn't find it hugely offensive either. I mean, this is from the people who brought a fake Osama to APEC conference, and made fun of men who were dead and eulogised overly positively with a song. This was similar, so I thought?

But it makes me realise that nobody thinks this type of death is funny. Nobody thinks that small children dying of cancer is funny. No one really thinks that making fun of dead people, such as Peter Brock and Kerry Packer, and making them out to not be "top blokes" after death is funny. Definitely no one thought that including Belinda Emmett in the list, even jokingly, was funny.

People don't like it when comedians make fun of things like this. I think it's because it's all too raw. We know that death is wrong. We know that death is extremely painful. We know that death is unjust, and particularly so for young children or a beautiful young woman.

In truth, we are all aware that death should not be the end and that people should not die. That suffering is not good and indeed that dying is awful. That's why I rejoice with Paul when he says:

50I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

"Death is swallowed up in victory." 55 "O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?"
56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15, ESV)

Jesus removes the power of sin over us, and conquers death for us. Praise Him.