Death and money

“When he’d died, I didn’t like people saying ‘Oh, he’s passed’. Or ‘You’ve lost your dad,’ as though I’d let go of his hand in the supermarket.”

That was Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate, speaking on Radio 4 about the sudden death of his father.

In preparation for writing this article, I googled why people say “passed away” instead of “died”, and this is what came back: “People say ‘passed away’ because it’s a gentler euphemism used to soften the harshness of death.”

Beyond euphemisms

Death can happen at any time. Most of us don’t know when we will die, but some do. And when that time approaches, many want to leave something behind – to make a difference, to leave a legacy.

My colleague Josiah works as a Legacy Partnerships Officer for Wycliffe Bible Translators, encouraging supporters to consider gifts in their wills. When he first started, he assumed people would be uncomfortable talking about death. Of course, some prefer not to. But what has surprised him is how many are completely open – even joyful – as they think about eternity and about leaving a gift that continues their commitment to God’s mission.

Rooted in hope

Josiah believes this openness is rooted in the hope we have in Jesus, and the anticipation of a life to come with no pain, no suffering, no tears, and no need for charities like Wycliffe. Ecclesiastes 3v11 tells us that God has “set eternity in the human heart”, and Josiah sees this reflected in the generosity and stories of those who pledge a legacy. He believes Christians are rarely afraid of what lies after death; instead, their fears are usually about the journey of dying or concern for the loved ones they leave behind. But the prospect of a redeemed heaven and earth? That is something everyone seems to look forward to.

Supporters speak with genuine excitement about leaving a gift once they are no longer on this earth. They love knowing that their dedication to Bible translation doesn’t end with their final breath, that their impact can ripple into future generations. Some legacy gifts have even completed translation programmes, ones that supporters prayed for and gave toward for many years, providing the final amount needed to bring God’s word to a people group for the first time.

Through these gifts, supporters are helping to bring Scripture to the 1.5 billion people who still don’t have the Bible in a language they understand. And as those Bibles are shared, read and passed on, Josiah is convinced their legacy will touch not only thousands today but millions in generations yet to come.

A legacy of light

He remembers speaking to one Legacy Pledger a few months ago, a man living with terminal cancer. When Josiah asked what had inspired him to leave a gift in his will, this is what he said: “I am dying of cancer, and I have experienced a lot of darkness in my life recently. But I know in my heart that Jesus is the light of the world. So as I prepare to go into the very real light of Jesus, if I can share His light with this dark world once I am in the next life by helping bring the Bible to people in their language, then that will make me happy.”

While our culture often avoids direct language about death – softening it with phrases like “passed away” – many of the believers Josiah speaks with face it with a striking peace. Their hope in Christ removes the need for euphemisms. And as they prepare to step into the presence of Jesus, their decision to leave a legacy becomes an act of quiet confidence: entrusting their resources to God’s continuing work. Long after their own words fall silent, the Scriptures made available through their generosity will keep speaking – bringing truth into the lives of people still waiting to hear it.