voices of faith Q & A

McClatchy Newspapers

Q. What’s the light seen in near-death experiences?

Pastor Emeritus Raymond Davis Jr., Greater Corinthian Church of the Christ, Kansas City, Mo.:

A. Martyrs of the faith are known to have near-death experiences.

But the kind where the person sees a “light” while in the midst of dying is not treated in Scripture.

That’s not to say that such an experience has never been experienced.

Having never been in such a situation, I don’t reject such a claim; neither do I endorse it. It’s a gray area for me.

However, there must be something to this idea and kind of experience.

Death is a religious experience, and for this near-death story to have such a hold on the mind of people there must be a stronghold of meaning for those who stand in belief of it.

The fact of a light carries a good and even a heavenly meaning in living and in dying.

The light is God’s way of saying, “Enter into my rest.”