Duane Harder – Mar 2026

When The End Is Just the Beginning

These past two weeks have been a challenge. Two close friends lost their battle with pancreatic cancer and crossed from this life to their eternal home. In a similar circumstance someone said to me, “Duane, you just have to accept that we are in the land of the living headed for the land of the dying.” Wherever the statement originated, they have it backwards. “We are in the land of the dying, headed for the land of the living.”

Several years ago, while on a flight, I was talking with a gentleman about a well- known personality that had died. At some point in the conversation, the man made the statement that he was not afraid to die. He said, “Death is just another event in life. It’s no big deal.” A few minutes after his statement our plane was struck with lightning. There was a loud noise, a bright flash of light, and a quiet plane. We were gliding at about 25,000 feet. The man who said it was just another event, grabbed the seat in front of him and was exceedingly pale. I quietly prayed for my wife, family and the well-being of those on the plane. In a few minutes they got the engines running and apart from some electrical damage, we were back on course. The man turned to me and said, “I guess that proved me a liar.” He wasn’t a liar; he was a man who had not come face to face with the reality of life. When the potential of death was in front of him, he did not want to let go of life.

It is not wrong to love life and length of days. Our problem is not having an exit plan for when the end comes. The fear of death often comes from our lack of a practical exit plan, unresolved wrong towards others, and our uncertainness of the process of death and what may come next. Here are some thoughts to ponder:

1. Make sure you have an up-to-date will. Handling the estate can be very complicated without one. Many family disputes have arisen due to the absence of a will.
2. Make sure a trusted family member or friend has the power of attorney. This is particularly important when neurologic weakness develops.
3. Plan your end-of-life celebration. Marva and I planned ours several years before her home-going arrived. In essence, what do you want your life to say?
4. List all bank accounts, investments, credit cards, and monthly payments.
5. Make sure your end-of-life wishes are made known: Burial or cremation. If burial, where? Do you want two plots together?
6. Have you caused offense to people close to you? If so, what needs to be said, or what initiative do you need to take resolve this offense before it’s too late.

To quote the famous words from the movie Gladiator, “What we do in life, echoes in eternity”. It is while we are living that we determine what our ending looks like. For me personally, I hold by the words of Jesus, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except by Me.” Jesus Christ was God’s provision for the brokenness of mankind. He restores order to our disorder, purpose to our hopelessness, and restoration to our guilt and shame.

Duane Harder