As I continue to share with my readers the 30 steps that Climacus devised to help us monks spiritually grow, I would remind my readers that this is truly a developmental approach to reaching holiness. We do well to reflect upon these steps. They are a great assistance to those who desire to spiritually grow. Each step builds on the previous step. It is a unique contribution to spiritual development literature and can help those who are desirous to spiritually grow.

The sixth step on John Climacus’ Spiritual Ladder, is, as I shared in the last issue, the Remembrance of Death. If death is the end of  human existence, then what’s to fear? Why should anyone be afraid of death? Eternity is a far more scary thing than death. But it can also be joyful. Many saints longed for death, not because they had no desire to live but because they longed to be with God. Those who believe there is nothing beyond death may long for it simply because they hate life or want the pain to end.

I find that many people fear death only because they can’t control death and death represents the unknown. So many of us humans want to control life and, at some deep level, we know that we cannot really control death. It comes when we least expect it, even when we expect it. For many the fear of the unknown is overwhelming. This is something we learn from life when we have had to deal with the unexpected.

Because the story of Jesus is at the very core of Christianity, we are told that there is life, albeit a different type of life, after death. The story of Jesus confirms this. He was both recognized and not recognized after His resurrection. There were, however, things that He did or said that allowed His friends to recognize Him. Christianity tells us that death does not destroy who we are!