My brother would wail and ask my mother over and over again when he was in the bathroom sick with a stomach virus, “Am I gonna die? Am I gonna die?” Emptying the contents of your stomach into the toilet can be a painful and scary experience for a young child. When my brother pleaded, “Am I gonna die?” my mom would comfort and assure him that all would eventually be OK.

Today is the feast day of one of the Gospel writers, St. Mark. As he fervently proclaimed his faith in the early Christian Church, I’m sure he knew the answer to the question “Am I gonna die?” John the Baptist had been killed. James, Stephen and other disciples had been martyred. To assert you as a follower of Christ pretty much meant a death sentence. And that is still true today in many parts of the world.

“Am I gonna die?” The answer is YES! Someday, and in some way, it will happen to all of us. The good news is that death has been defeated. Paul proclaims in his letter to the Romans; “If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.” Life here on earth can be painful and scary, but glorious eternity waits for all believers. Even those with stomach viruses.