I recently saw the movie titled “After Death.” It’s a documentary written and directed by Stephen Gray and Chris Radtke. The movie features stories of people who have survived near-death experiences. The movie not only featured people who experienced the warmth and beautiful light often associated with Heaven; it also featured a couple of men who found themselves in a place of darkness.

Although the movie had many bad reviews, I enjoyed it. I read several reviews and found that many people disliked the movie because it didn’t focus completely on Christianity. Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, the movie did ask a great question—What happens after you die?

Of course, no one can truly answer this question. And this may not be a question you are willing to ask yourself. But you should consider it. Why? Because everyone eventually dies. It also begs another important question. How are you living your life? Are you treating your spouse and children with kindness, love and respect? How do you treat others? Only you can answer those questions.

I have been raised in the Christian faith my entire life. If you believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ as I do, then you believe that there is a special place for you after you die. As Christians we also believe there is a place of darkness for non-followers. The words Hell and Gehenna have often been used to describe this place. Christians describe eternal damnation as being separated from God.

There are also different faiths throughout the world that have their own beliefs of what happens after death. For instance, according to the whyislam.org website, I found a passage describing how Muslims describe life after death:

“In Islam, an individual’s life after death or their Hereafter, is very closely shaped by their present life. One who excels in goodness will be rewarded generously, whereas one whose evils and wrongs overweigh his good deeds will be punished. Those who emerge successful in this judgment will go to paradise and the doors of eternal bliss will be opened to them. Those who are condemned and deserve punishment will be sent to Hell – the abode of fire and torture.”

Although Christians and Muslims have some similarities. There are also differences. For instance, Christianity teaches that good deeds alone are not enough to get you into Heaven. You must also accept Christ as your savior. The Muslim faith bases eternal salvation on how followers live their lives. They believe good deeds can bring you eternal salvation.

When I was younger, I felt invincible. I felt like I would live forever. But as I have gotten older, I have accepted that over half of my life is gone. This has led to a change in my priorities. I prefer to spend less time working and pursuing earthly possessions and spending more time being around my loved ones.

Regardless of your faith, there is no bad time to think about your mortality. The reality is that you will eventually leave this world. Do you know what will happen after you die? If you don’t, then perhaps you should consider dusting off your Bible and reading passages that discuss life after death. Or you can also do your own research about the afterlife. Even if you aren’t a Christian or have any beliefs about what happens after you die, a natural curiosity should have you questioning your mortality.

There are many different books discussing the topic. I would like to recommend two great books about near-death experiences. One is 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper and another is Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back written by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent. I realize that many people think when you die, that’s the end of life as you know it. If true, does this mean you don’t think your life amounted to anything? Does it mean you didn’t matter? If you feel this way about yourself, I disagree. Your life has meaning. Don’t you think your life has enough meaning to at least consider that there is a beautiful place for you to spend eternity?

Marc is a longtime resident of Clermont County and an avid reader. Contact him through his website at www.themarcabe.com or through Facebook: www.Facebook.com/themarcabe or his twitter account @themarcabe. Marc also has a podcast called Catch my Killer where he interviews family members seeking justice for their murdered loved ones. You can listen at www.catchmykiller.com.