FEARING
THE UNKNOWN

Topics: Consequences; Death; Eternal Life; Faith; Fear; Heaven; Hell; Hope; Jesus Christ; Lifestyle; Mortality; Peace; Resurrection; Salvation; Trust; Uncertainties

References: John 3:16; 11:25–26; 14:1–6; Romans 8:35–39; 2 Corinthians 5:1–10; Philippians 1:21; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 21:1–5

In the 2007 film The Bucket List, two terminally ill men—played by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman—take a road trip to do the things they always said they would do before they “kicked the bucket.” Before the film’s release, Nicholson was interviewed by Parade magazine. Reflecting on his personal life, Nicholson said, “I used to live so freely. The mantra for my generation was ‘Be your own man!’ I always said, ‘Hey, you can have whatever rules you want—I’m going to have mine. I’ll accept the guilt. I’ll pay the check. I’ll do the time.’ I chose my own way. That was my philosophical position well into my fifties. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve had to adjust.”

But reality has a way of getting the attention of even Jack Nicholson. Later in the interview, he adds, “We all want to go on forever, don’t we? We fear the unknown. Everybody goes to that wall, yet nobody knows what’s on the other side. That’s why we fear death.”

—Dotson Rader, “I Want to Go On Forever,” Parade magazine (December 9, 2007)

PART 19: MARRIAGE