131- The Shadow of Death

A father along with his two children stood in front of his house waiting for one of his friends to drive them to the church to attend the funeral services of his wife. The father was at a loss as to what to say to his children, who lost their young mother, in order to console them.

As he was perplexed, a huge bulldozer passed by them. The house shook by the movement of this huge bulldozer. It was a clear day and the sun was shining. As the bulldozer passed by them, the shadow of the bulldozer came on the man and his two children.

The man said to his two children, “Did you see the bulldozer?”

The elder son replied, “Yes its shadow came upon us, it had a disturbing sound. I felt the whole ground is shaking under me due to its movement.”

The father said, “Yes indeed it has a dreadful noise. I wonder what happens if it crosses over a person!”

The younger child replied, “It’ll destroy him completely.”

The father said, “What happened when its shadow came upon us?”

The elder son said, "Nothing at all Dad."

The father then said, “Such is death. Its sound is scary and dreadful. All mankind fell under its sting, and it destroyed homes and generations. But thanks God, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lover of mankind, drove away the bulldozer of death. He died like all mankind. Death however couldn’t destroy Him. By His death, He made death to have no sting on us. He drives the bulldozer Himself so that the bulldozer just passes the shadow of death over us and doesn’t roll over us. Consequently, we don’t fear the bulldozer. As the Psalmist says,

“Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me” (Ps. 23.4).

He says ‘the valley of the shadow of death’, not ‘the valley of death’.”

The younger child said, “But mom died dad, didn’t death destroy her?”

The father said, “Death can’t destroy her. She passed through its shadow to our living Christ to live with Him in paradise! There she will meet all the believers who went through the same thing (death). Everyone is joyful with the new life.”

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: ظل الموت.

+I thank you my good Savior,

Because You did not entrust neither an angel, or archangel,

Cherubim or Seraphim,

Nor a prophet, nor a righteous one to drive the bulldozer of death.

Instead You descended into our world, drove the bulldozer of death Yourself.

It did not pass over me but only its shadow,

For there is no death to Your servants but a departure.

+ Yes where is your sting O’ death!

Here the Beloved of my soul is commanding you,

You will not touch my soul,

And even my body you will get nothing from it.

In your shadow, my body finds temper relief,

Till it has its complete rest when it is glorified,

Becoming participant with Christ in His glorified body.

Welcome O shadow of death, through you I cross over to the Beloved of my soul.

Strict Love

Short Stories (Stories for the Youth) Books by Father Tadros Yacoub Malaty

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