This morning, we all learned about the unexpected and sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham. A lot of political commentators will discuss his legacy and the complications of it, and I don’t want to add to that. I will note briefly, though, that I found the tributes from senators on the other side of the aisle to be beautiful and hopeful.
But what stood out to me was some reporting about the last hours of Graham’s life. It described him frantically working the phones, calling leaders, speaking to the president and others. Apparently, one of his last conversations came when he was already feeling pain in his chest. Jokingly, he said, “I can’t die yet,” referring to all that he still had to do.
A man who would die shortly, declaring, “I can’t die yet.” That really got my attention.
Death the Great Equalizer
The truth is that none of us can predict when we’re going to die, and none of us can control it. Despite all of our efforts to focus on health, beauty, diet, exercise, or any number of things meant to extend our lives, we ultimately cannot control death. In that sense, death is the great equalizer, and it is sobering to think about.
The book of Ecclesiastes speaks to this in chapter 9:
“It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath… This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all.”
Life under the Sun is Vanity
Ultimately, this life is fragile. It is temporary, and death is a constant intruder into the story. If all we had was this life under the sun, then ultimately it would be, as Ecclesiastes says, “vanity of vanities.”
The writer continues:
“For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.”
It is a very sobering view. We work hard, we fight, we dedicate our lives to causes, but those things fade away. Ultimately, what endures are the things that are eternal: our relationship with God, our salvation in Christ, and the love we have for others.
Making the Most of Our Time Under the Sun
All of us, in some ways, live as though we can’t die. But we need to ask ourselves: How are we going to use the time that we have, knowing that we don’t know how much time we have?
Ultimately, if our life under the sun is short and we do not know how many breaths we have left, we have to examine ourselves critically and ask: are we going to waste it?
I know I waste so much time scrolling on my phone or playing games. How would my life be different, and how would the world around me be different if I stopped wasting those moments and instead lived fully present? If I fully recognize that I cannot control how long I have, but I can enjoy the time that God has given me?
Ecclesiastes 9 puts this into beautiful perspective. says again:
“Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun… Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.”
So we live life with gusto. We enjoy it, knowing that it is going to end and that we will be accountable before God for how we used our time under the sun.
Senator Graham’s death reminds us that none of us feels like it’s our time. None of us is ever truly ready for that moment. But if we remember that, perhaps we will live our lives with an eye toward eternity and make the most of the time God has given us here on this earth
In the Hands of the Sovereign God
Earlier, in Ecclesiasties 9:1 , the writer says:
“I laid it to heart, examining how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God.”
Ultimately, those who only see life under the sun can only see the unpredictability and vicissitudes of life. They can see the good suffer and the wicked prosper. They can see the young snuffed out in the prime of life.
But as Christians, we know that this life is ultimately “in the hand of God.” And we can trust that the “Judge of all the earth” will “do right.” (Gen 18:25). We can trust that all things work for good for those that trust in Christ Jesus. And with that perspective, we can live God-honoring lives that live fully in the present even as we look with steadfast hope.
The Resurrection and the Life
For the Christian, we can rely not only on God’s good sovereignty, but also in the resurrection of Christ. We can know that Christ has once and for all conquered death for us and that its unnatural intrusion into our lives will one day cease. We know that we will once again rise from the grave. We know that God will wipe every tear from our eyes. And with that perspective, we can look at unexpected and sudden loses sobermindedly. We can grieve that life is too short and too often tragic. And yet we can look forward with eager expectation to when all things will be made new.
All of us, in one way or another, live as though “I can’t die yet.” But our times are not in our hands—they are in God’s. Because Christ has conquered death, we need not fear the day He appoints for us to die. Instead, we can use the days He has given us wisely, enjoying His gifts, serving Him faithfully, and looking forward to that glorious resurrection morning.
