WHEN IS IT RIGHT TO DIE? by Joni Eareckson Tada

WHEN IS IT RIGHT TO DIE? is an updated book about death and dying from a Christian perspective. It is nonfiction. Joni Eareckson Tada, the author, begins her book with a Preface and Special Thanks, which are acknowledgements for those who helped make this book possible. Tada spreads her content across three sections and ten chapters. She follows this with an Epilogue and an Appendix of the Hippocratic Oath. Then she ends with Notes citing sources used to research material for each chapter. Tada is the CEO of JONI AND FRIENDS, an organization that provides and spiritual help to those with special JONI AND FRIENDS also equips churches in helping those with disabilities. Tada has written numerous books, which include WHEN GOD WEEPS and one among several memoirs, THE GOD I LOVE.

This is not light, entertaining reading. It's about death, dying, suffering, disabilities, and illness. The author, Joni Eareckson Tada, knows by experience what she is writing about. She has been paralyzed from the neck down for decades. She has faced infertility and has never been able to bear children. Nor has she apparently been able to adopt. She and her husband, Ken, model true love and marriage. I really admire them. Recently, Joni has fought breast cancer. I have read many of her other books and heard her on radio. So her conservative but well-informed and deeply spiritual worldview, as reflected throughout this book, did not surprise me in the least. I did not realize she faced breast cancer until I read this book. Though this book is serious and profound, it is interesting and greatly encouraging and motivating. This is one book I do not want to give away or donate.

I recommend this book for anyone concerned about death, dying, disabilities illness, or depression. All pastors, counselors, and any church leader working with people should read this book and apply its lessons. There are plenty of books dealing with sanctity of life issues as they apply to the beginning of life. There are fewer books focusing on the sanctity of life as it pertains to end-of-life issues. This is a must read book and it is for all people 18 and over. A youth version of this book is needed.

I have received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to give a positive review of this book.

Good Friday to Easter

          Whether you observe the Easter holidays, the Passover holidays or don't observe either, I'm sure that you're aware that many people of faith observe a holiday season known as "Holy Week," which includes Good Friday and climaxes with what is commonly known as Easter. You may know or not know what Good Friday and Holy Saturday are all about the focus on the death of a Person known as Jesus, the Son of God, though you may or may not know what this means.
          Why is Good Friday called that, anyway? This is the day that Christian tradition has set aside specifically to focus on the the Person of Christ, God the Son, the second Person of the Holy Trinity and to focus on the events surrounding His death. And His death was by a method called crucifixion. Today, the cross is a lovely symbol for countless churches and is a pretty emblem on countless necklaces and earrings or is often used as a symbol in countless other ways in the arts. Historically, though, crucifixion on a cross was the most horrific, painful, degrading method of execution known to humanity. It was reserved in Bible days for the worst of the worst of criminals and anyone who was executed this way was counted as "cursed."
          What does this mean to you? you may well wonder.
          First of all, let's get into the most comforting truth that the events surrounding His death show how completely God, because of Jesus, is so able to identify with anything and everything we may have suffered in life. He may not have suffered your specific trial but he has experienced the range of feelings that go with what you may have or are going through. For example, have you been misunderstood? All of us have. Many of us, because of how we are wired, because of our experiences, or because of what we do, are more subject to being misunderstood than others and know all too well the pain of knowing that people don't "get" us. God in Christ knows exactly the feeling of the sting and loneliness of being misunderstood, even by those closest to Him. The Jews of His day expected a Messiah Who would be warlike, pompous, political and to overthrow their oppressors, establishing an earthly kingdom. Generally speaking, most of the Jews didn't "get" Jesus in His day. They didn't, at all, "get" a Person who claimed to be God but who was peaceful, gentle, ordinary-looking, unpretentious and Who stressed that He came not to be served but to serve and to set up His Kingdom, spiritually speaking, in people's lives and hearts. How dare this Jesus claim equality with God the Father? This was why they (with the full co-operation of the Roman authorities of that day) had Him crucified in the first place! And when they saw and participated in all the events leading up to His death, they certainly didn't, at all, "get" a God Who would allow Himself to be arrested like a criminal and then to die the most horrific form of death then known to man, crucifixion. They saw Him hang in between two criminals and remain on that cross until He put Himself into His Father's hands. What kind of a God would do these things? So if you are one who lives with the feeling that people can't or won't "get" you, God, because of Jesus, knows just what that feels like. And then some.
          Have you been betrayed by someone you once trusted and invested much in? God in Christ has experienced this fully. One of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Him to the authorities who arreested Him and had Him crucified. Judas, like the other 11 disciples, has the wonderful privilege of being physically close to God the Son for several years. He got to interact with Jesus in countless different ways, saw His miracles, His acts of love and compassion for people and the the clearest, most accurate expression of God in human form. Judas must have been initially devoted to and loved Christ or else he would not have followed Him in the first place, leaving his home to follow a man who claimed to be the Messiah and adopt the life of a homeless person. But in the course of time, his experience in being the group's treasurer and his access to the group's funds, tempted him to greed and he eventually succumbed to the love of money. Sadly, greed eroded what faith Judas had and then he betrayed Jesus. And because of Jesus, God can feel the devastation of being "burned" by betrayal.
          Human trafficking? We have been becoming more and more aware of the different forms of the way that humans are trafficked, whether into sex slavery, black market adoptions, domestic servitude, bride trafficking and more. Because of Jesus, God knows what it's like to be sold like a commodity. In Christ, He was sold for 30 pieces of silver to the authorities, Unspeakable depravity! So if you are an advocate against human trafficking and are even a survivor, God can, because of Jesus, fully understand you.
          Rejected? God in Christ knows all about the awful experience of being rejected. All of us have experienced rejection in some form or other. Some of us have experienced more of rejection than others, because of the people we have dealt with, because of how we are made or because of what we do. Rejection comes in all shapes and sizes but it always hurts. Feeling rejected has motivated countless suicides and crimes and is behind countless forms of addiction and mental health and emotional problems. Jesus was rejected, especially during the final years of His earthy life. The Jewish people shunned Him because He didn't, as I already mentioned, fit their criteria for a Messiah. They were livid that He hung out with and cared for non-Jews (bear in mind that at that time, the Jews were not marginalized like now, but were seen as the superior race), corrupt and immoral people, sick or disabled people, the poor, children, women and others who were counted as "rejects." The events of and surrounding His death, by definition, are the ultimate form of rejection. They wanted to have Him eliminated. Because of Jesus, God knows all about rejection.
          Verbally abused? The old saying "Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me" is false. We all know that words can and do hurt and that often, they can scar us for life, emotionally. God in Christ, throughout His last years on Earth as a human, experienced terrible verbal abuse. He was called a "liar," an "evil person," a "glutton," a drunkard," a "foreigner," the "devil," "Satan" and much more. His enemies, the Jewish religious leaders, often said nasty things to him or about Him to others. They lived to make His life hellish. He was cursed, taunted and trashed. So many of us have had things said to us and about us, things that, even when forgiven, can never be forgotten and that will stay with us throughout life. Because of Jesus, God knows what this is like. And more.
          Physically abused? Upon his betrayal and arrest, God in Christ was hellishly abused beyond imagination. People spit on Him to show their total contempt for Him. They put a crown of thorns on His head for mockery and to maximize His pain before He even made it to His execution. They hit His back, over and over, with whips. Long before He made it to His cross, He was in excrutiating physical pain, lost much blood and His body was much weakened by all this hellish abuse. He was forced, at least part of the way, to carry His cross. And wood is heavy, as you probably know. And then nails were driven through His hands (or wrists) and feet (or ankles) to make for excruciating physical pain beyond human imagination. He suffered physically in every way and then experienced death, the ultimate in abuse.
          Sexually abused? Statistics tell us that countless children, both boys and girls, are sexually abused and often families don't report it or when it is reported, law enforcement haven't been helpful. And there are all the adults that experience sexual abuse. And sexual abuse doesn't include only forcible rape but comes in many different forms. Because of Jesus, God knows what this feels like. He hung on His cross totally naked and in public and was taunted throughout. His dignity was totally stripped from Him during those hours. Because of Jesus, God knows what it is like to be violated and degraded and shamed.
          Falsely accused? He Who was totally innocent and without the slightest fault or sin, was accused of the ultiimate evil, that of treason against His people and blasphemy, all because of His claim to be the Messiah and because He didn't fit the people's criteria for what their Messiah should be like. He was treated like the worst of all criminals and was executed in the worst way of that time. Many of us have been falsely accused of things we never did and many have been wrongfully charged, prosecuted, imprisoned and even executed for crimes. Many parents and other caregivers have been falsely accused of abuse and have lost children by court order or have been sent to prison. God in Christ knows fully what it's like to be falsely accused of crimes that He never did.
          Lost a child? Because of Jesus, God knows the unimaginable pain and tremendous pain of losing a beloved child. He suffered this loss when His Son was dying on a cross; He can fully identify with all of those among you who have been unfortunate enough to have lost a child.
          Do you fear death? God in Christ actually died a real death. But, unlike every other person, He fully pre-meditated, planned and orchestrated His own death down do the smallest detail.one of the events in His life, including those surrounding His death, took Him by surprise. He did it all willingly and on purpose. And why did He do all this? Well, God is infinitely holy, according to the Scriptures. Compared to His holiness, all of us are, in His sight, sinners. He could not just let us off. Someone had to pay our debt. That's where His Earth-visit, in Christ, comes in. So, instead of punishing us and destroying us outright, He, in Christ, came to our Earth at one point in time, was conceived as a fetus, was born a baby, and then lived the perfect human life that we could never live. Then He died in our place to satisfy His own demands of justice so that each of us who wants a relationship with Him, can come to Him by means of Christ.
           But this isn't the end! He came back to life. This is what Easter is all about. The Scripture provides stories to illustrate that Jesus rose in the same body that He walked in before His death with details and evidence that would hold up in any court of law. If you have time and access to the Scriptures, I recommend checking out at least some of the material below to see for yourself.
        
  If you have a Bible or access to one, you can read about it more:

Matthew 26:47 to Matthew 27:66 and Matthew 28: 1-20
Mark 14:43 to Mark 15:47 and Mark 16: 1-20
Luke 22:47 to Luke 23:58 and Luke 24: 1-50
John 18 to John 19:42 and John 20: 1-50 to John 21: 1-25.
  

An Open Letter To Those Who Hold the Key (s) To Any Invstigation

You may regularly see a neighborhood child (ren) who the homeowner, who comes off to you as rather "strange," claims that he is just taking care of but who is not ever sent to school or anywhere else, for that matter. You have seen this child (ren) in the back yard but no where else. Should you read anything into this? Would this have anything to do with one of those missing child (ren) cases or Amber Alerts that you have been hearing about in the news?

On some days, as you look outdoors, you see a man who wanders the sidewalks aimlessly wandering around and appearing to be dazed and unaware. You have heard stories that this person has been thrown out by his family and you feel sorry for him, but what can you do?

You have exclusive knowledge about a conversation, online or in-person, that you know can provide a clue (s) to move a death or criminal investigation forward or help find a missing person, whether in your area or in your social networks.

There was a recent shooting in your workplace. Everyone is tremendously upset about it, including you. You have seen defensive wounds on a man whom you work with at around the time when your male co-worker was found tragically murdered. On, dear, would that man be the type to do such a thing; how can you "rat on" such a nice, outgoing guy?

You have been hearing and seeing all the news coverage about girls and women being sexually assaulted, raped, and one even being found murdered. Law enforcement (LE) are focusing only on one man whom they see as being possibly involved in all these cases. The sketch of the suspect resembles your beloved son and is too much to ignore. Your son lives with you but is often evasive about his whereabouts and activities. On, dear. What should you do, brush your misgivings off?

Your get along with your husband fairly well the few times he is home. However, he often exasperates you because he gets his mail forwarded to another state and when he brings his mail home, he will not let you touch it. You also can't get your husband to "come clean" about the $$$ that vanish out of your family account and who he talks to. What should you do about it?

You have heard about the case of the "wanted" robber in your state and he has been known to be armed as he has "held" up quite a few banks, terrifying people who were in the banks at those times. You take note of the sketch of this suspect, noticing with dismay that the person in this poster greatly resembles your nephew, who has had encounters with the law already. Should you mess with this and anger your relatives?

You are scrolling through your Facebook homepage and then, for some reason, decide to do a Facebook search. You notice that one of the Facebook profiles belongs to a boy who looks like and whose age is listed as identical to those of a missing boy, according to his poster information which you have seen, even shared, on social networks.

You are very painfully aware of a murder victim's case. You are the lone witness of the crime. You helplessly watched the person's life be brought to an untimely end. You have never forgotten the awful images and the victim's pleas for his life. You know the killer, who has told you to remain silent or you would be sorry. Are you going to be this person's next victim if you tell?

You sometimes hold parties in your home. A certain man enjoys to frequent your parties, bringing his camera and several girls, one who is quite a bit older than the others. This man has always been secretive about his activities and about the identities of these girls. You observe that they seem to be very focused on pleasing the man, but that they enjoy your parties. Are you to connect this with the case of a missing girl in your area?

I can come up with many other scenarios of instances where so many of us can hold a key or even the key that would help move a death, missing/unidentified or criminal investigation forward, or even solve a case. We all know that there are countless such investigations that are going on and their numbers only increase by the minute, as new investigations begin. Many investigations go on for months, for years and there are many that have been going on for decades and show no sign of getting solved. You probably know about and may even watch, whether regularly or sporadically, shows like John Walsh's "America's Most Wanted."

Behind every investigation, whether it be to find a missing person, to identify a crime victim, to determine why a deceased person has died, or to seek justice for a murdered person, are people who are hurting, devastated, and who want and need answers and peace. Families, friends and communities are forced to live without answers as to why a loved one is dead, who is responsible, to see the person be brought to justice, or see a missing loved one be brought home, whether safe and alive or identified as deceased so they can have a proper burial. When such questions linger, unanswered, it is pretty well impossible to focus on anything else or move forward with life.

If you follow the news, whether on television or online, or use social networks, you may have seen many appeals by families or their appointed spokespersons, who have make appeals to the public for answers. You may no doubt have seen the contact information for tips and information that are to be used for submitted tips for specific investigations. You may have heard the anguish in the voices of family members, the tears in their eyes, who have pled for anyone with any information, even suspected information, to come forward, to contact the shared tipline, and to know that you will remain anonymous as you do so.

You may be a frequent viewer of talk shows and even cable TV channels whose focus is true crime cases and investigations. If that is the case, you have likely seen anguished interviews with tearful family members or friends of missing or murdered people or crime victims/survivors, who are seeking for justice. In this case, you have heard the appeals: "We would do anything to have our loved one home again. We are missing our loved one. PLEASE, if you know anything at all or you suspect that something is not right, please call in with your tip. No piece of information is too small to help solve a case."

You may even be carrying a dark secret and you may be the only one who knows about it. You may know details of a crime that only the perpretrator (s) of a crime or an accomplice (s) can know. You say nothing because you don't want to lose your freedom. You may even have "skipped town," taking on an alias and starting life in another state or even in another country. If you told, you know what could happen. You could be put away in prison, even for life.

Why should you come forward and tell? For one thing, you would feel relief and gain a clear conscience. A clear conscience is priceless. You also can solve an investigation, bring a missing person home, identify a crime victim, end a family's nightmare, even save someone's life. Yes, doing the right thing often has consequences, but the consequences cannot compare to the consequennces of not doing what you know is right.

So why wait? You know what to do. Pick up your phone and dial 9-1-1 or the tipline in question or submit your tip in written form, on designated websites like John Walsh's "America's Most Wanted" or other related websites. Depending on any role you had in the case in question, you may face consequences. But you will be doing the right thing.