Death is not the end of functioning; we were meant for eternity

This article is brought to you by Jeff Lipinski Howard County Commissioner District 1.

I like to think I’m observant; probably not as observant as I think I am. My wife would surely tell you otherwise, laughing out loud. But every now and then, I notice something that sticks with me long after I’ve seen it.

One of those things happens when I watch chefs prepare seafood. Every so often, I’ll come across a video of someone skillfully preparing squid. As the chef works with incredible precision, cutting and separating different parts of the animal, something fascinating happens.

Even after the beak is removed, the body is set aside, and the tentacles are separated, parts of the squid continue to move. The skin still ripples with changing colors. Tentacles twitch. Sections of the body seem to function independently.

I’m not saying that to be graphic. I’m simply making an observation.

It made me think that while the squid’s body is no longer operating as a complete organism, not everything immediately stops functioning. That picture reminded me of something much greater: ourselves.

As human beings, we are more than flesh and bone. We have a body, but we also have a soul and a spirit. The body will one day wear out, but Scripture teaches that our existence doesn’t end there. We were created for eternity.

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 12:1, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.” That’s wise advice because the decisions we make while we’re young often shape the direction of the rest of our lives—and even prepare us for eternity.

Watching that squid reminded me that death is not simply the end of functioning. It is the end of our earthly bodies doing what they were designed to do. But our story doesn’t stop there. Our souls will continue, and we will stand before the One who created us.

So, while most people might scroll past a cooking video without another thought, I found myself thinking about life, eternity, and purpose.

Strange lesson? Maybe.

But sometimes, God uses the most unexpected things to remind us of the most important truths. And every now and then, even a squid can point our thoughts toward eternity.