Messages of Hope
Real stories. Real hope.
Listen to the episode
‘We were in this little plane, caught in a thunderstorm and the pilot said – I’m sorry guys, we’re not going make it, we’re gonna go down – and man, that makes you think about living and dying!’
Death is not a topic that we tend to talk about over a BBQ. Most of us don’t talk about death until it’s on our doorstep. Celia and Richard talk with Jonathan Krause about why we don’t need to be afraid to have those conversations.
Key takeaways from this episode
- Talking about death brings peace: Jonathan’s mum openly discussed her own death — planning her funeral with joy, bright colours, and celebration — which helped the family face her passing with comfort instead of fear.
- Death as ‘going home’: As a Christian, Jonathan views death not as an end but as returning home — a place of love, welcome, and peace with Jesus
- Seize the day, live without regrets: He encourages expressing love daily and not waiting until it’s too late — making every moment with loved ones count .
- Children and death conversations: Kids aren’t naturally afraid of death — it’s adults who teach fear. Jonathan suggests talking about death early and attending funerals as part of life’s learning.
- Love is more precious than life: Jonathan believes love continues beyond death. While physical life ends, love remains — echoing God’s eternal love .
- Faith brings confidence, not fear: Having seen death often through his aid work, Jonathan finds hope in the promise of eternal life and the assurance that life extends beyond this world.
- Death as a doorway: His mum described dying as walking through a doorway into another life — a peaceful, beautiful transition rather than something to dread.
- Living fully now: Understanding that there’s more beyond this life gives Jonathan the courage to live each day with purpose, gratitude, and love.
Episode transcript
Click to view PDF transcript
Related booklet
Grief is caused by many things, the most common reason being the death of someone close to you. While each person experiences grief differently, this booklet explores the common feelings people have during a grieving period.
Watch related video
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