by Rev. Karon Sandberg
We all want to know, don’t we? Different faith traditions tell us different things. The Christian faith says that we will have eternal life with God. Hindu and Buddhist faiths tell us that we will be reincarnated into another life until we reach enlightenment. The Jewish faith says that we cannot really know but if there is a reward, surely, it will be dependent on the life we have lived. I am sure as UU’s you have your own ideas about what happens when we die.
Having been a hospice chaplain, I sat bedside at multiple deaths, with folks from multiple understandings of faith. In my experience some things consistently rang true and helped me to make sense of what might be possible as we leave this life.
Rev. Karon Sandberg is a retired hospice chaplain who is still trying to figure out what retirement means during these Covid times. So far she and her husband, Joel, have found solace in hiking our many state parks. She is also working on a book about the lessons her patients have taught her about living and dying. She continues to speak monthly at various UU congregations and serves Fox Valley UU Fellowship as a community minister.