Jesus and Grave (Being, Nothing) by Sungyoul Choi is a reflection on life. I say this with great admiration for the author because he chose to write a book about death. As you may know, death is one of the biggest fears of humankind. No one knows what comes after death. No one was able to return from the dead other than Jesus. So, it is only fitting that the author has written a book about the Son of God who was able to rise again after dying on the cross.
I like how the author described death as something that will inevitably happen. He describes death as something that requires courage because once we cross over to the other side, we will be able to meet our Creator and leave behind eternal pain. Having this mindset erases the fear that is present in many people when death is mentioned. It is worth mentioning that among Filipinos, death is still a taboo topic. Still, a Korean author has chosen to write a book about death in the Philippines in order to instill in us the value of anticipation. This anticipation can help us look forward to death. Instead of dreading it, maybe we can prepare for it. And in order to have the courage to approach death with open arms, we must learn how to surrender everything we know and every pain that burdens us.
I have so many questions as to how and why the author was able to write this book, which extensively tackles death. For now, I will park my questions and simply reflect on the lessons imparted to me by this book. My biggest takeaway is that we must make the most out of the present in order to properly prepare for death. As of now, I will keep these lessons in mind as I try my best to give everything I can in order to have a better life so that I can die peacefully.
Jesus and Grave (Being, Nothing) by Sungyoul Choi is now available!