Birth, growth, decay, and death: the four inevitable stages of life. Thomas Cole’s four Voyage of Life paintings follow this pattern as they masterfully communicate the nuances of the cycles of life and the notion of memento mori[efn_note]Memento mori is a Latin phrase that refers to the idea “remember that you must die.”[/efn_note]. 

While death is inevitable, the journey of life need not end in despair at the grave. The dilemma of mortality is answered by our hope in eternity through Jesus Christ.

For further study, consider viewing Ken’s Voyage of Life series.