My dear friends, Remember death.

Memento Mori: the sobering words whispered to the Roman emperor as he reveled in victory by his servants to keep him grounded. Revered as a god he was, and needed the truth of his own mortality all the more for it.

Don Hertzfeldt's masterpiece of animation, one of the few films I can undeniably say completely changed my life, "It's Such a Beautiful Day," gives this reminder through the unnerving words: "You will only get older."

I've known children who died of cancer, had many friend lose their parents, had other friends commit suicide. We're surrounded by death. And yet, we so often cover our ears and LA LA LA.

It is the inescapable curse of humanity in our fallen, sinful state. Death comes for every one of us.

Don't pretend that this life is long, and don't pretend that there's always tomorrow, and don't pretend that we've still got time. There's so much dross in this world, and we love rubbing our faces in it and wallowing in all our filth. And we do that for 80 years then die.

And then the judgement.

See, death is important... in fact, it's crucial... as in the crux... as in the Cross of Jesus Christ. The only way the curse could be redeemed was through the death of wickedness, so we the wicked have no choice but to die, except that the only righteousness in all the earth, God the Almighty Holy One incarnate in perfect human flesh, took on all of the wickedness and death that ever was, and died, so death could be ended.

So Memento Mori. Remember the death of God Himself, and what it means for OUR deaths... and don't get caught up in this feeble thing called life that fades like breath on a window.

Instead devote yourself to the breath of Jesus that will never fade.

Because He died, the most important event in history, so your death wouldn't have to be the Nihilistic focus.

"Death be not proud..."

Life has come.

So remember death.

Remember HIS death.