Ailing Kevorkian Released From Prison to Die
Dr. Jack Kevorkian graduated from medical school in 1952 as a pathologist. He has had a keen interest in ‘death’ for decades. As early as 1956 he published a paper on his attempt to photograph the eyes of patients at their moment of death. This project earned him the nickname “Doctor Death.”
A couple of years later he lost his medical position with the University of Michigan for proposing to experiment with convicts as they were being executed. In the early 60’s he published an article summarizing his efforts to transfuse blood from dead bodies to living ones.
In the late eighties he advertised his ‘death counseling’ services in a Detroit newspaper. During the 90’s it is estimated he assisted 100+ people in committing suicide. But he didn’t stop there. On September 17, 1998 he defiantly administered a lethal injection to an ALS patient who had consented to end his life. Doctor Death was charged with murder and started a 10-25 year prison term.
Dr. Kevorkian took his intrigue with death beyond the medical sphere. As an artist he transferred his fascination to canvas. In one of his paintings he mocked the beautiful old hymn by using its title to label his artwork.
Kevorkian’s commentary on this painting is stingingly sarcastic. He wrote: “How forbidding that dark abyss! How stupendous the yearning to dodge its gaping orifice. How inexorable the engulfment.” But now Doctor Death is facing death. He is terminally ill. He is being released from prison. It is one thing to mock the seriousness of death in your hay days but now the defining moment is fast approaching for Dr. Kevorkian himself.
Medically Kevorkian knew how to hasten death and end life but that does not require much ingenuity. The question is: does he now know how to avoid death?
Friend, you can’t avoid death. And after death, is it really ‘nothingness’ as Kevorkian stated? Absolutely not! Innately human beings in every culture have a consciousness of an after-life and a sense of being accountable after death to a Creator Judge.
The Bible says: “It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27. Jesus told the story of two men who died. One awoke in the flames of Hell, fully conscious and we are actually told what he was experiencing in that awful place. The other man died and awoke in Heaven – a place of eternal bliss. Only the Lord Jesus could provide for us that glimpse into eternity.
Death is no joke. Heaven and Hell are real places and real people end up in either of the two locations.
Why is there death? Romans 5:12 says: “…sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned…”
The only One who could overpower death was the One who never sinned. Jesus Christ came into the world to deal with the problem of sin and death. By dying He paid the penalty for our sins. Because of His death, God can offer us a full and a free salvation and the complete forgiveness of our sins. Three days later Christ demonstrated His power and victory over sin and death by His resurrection.
Christ is alive today and you can be saved. Christ died for Dr. Kevorkian’s sins. Christ died for your sins. The both of you can have complete forgiveness and be sure of a home in Heaven when you die.
You may live cautiously and try to prolong your life. You might live recklessly and hasten your death but there is one thing you can not do – you can not avoid death. Even Dr. Death must face death himself.
Make sure when you have to die that dying is all you have left to do. It must be terrifying to realize your body organs are shutting down and life is fleeing from your body and to be frantically scrambling to make a last minute deal with your Maker.
Kevorkian’s painting depicting the horrors of dying is far more real than he would like to think it is.
It IS reality for someone dying without Christ. Run to Christ (the Door) today. Accept Him as your Saviour.
Study the Bible-based diagram below and figure out where you are today on the map. You know where you want to end up but to get there you first must identify your current location. From there you can see how your course must be changed to get to your preferred destination.
Sources:
www.wikipedia.org, www.pbs.org, www.cnn.com 20070527