When I served on the USS WALLER out of Norfolk, Virginia, I was part of the special sea and anchor detail. Whenever we pulled into or out of port, I would hurry to the forecastle and help handle the lines. I still remember October of 1966 when the announcement came over the 1MC: “Set the special sea and anchor detail!” This time we were not docking; we were leaving homeport for a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean, with stops in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. I was nineteen and had not traveled much, so the excitement ran high. It felt like stepping into an unknown world, a journey filled with anticipation. The ship buzzed with energy as the ropes were cast off and we began to move. There is something about departure that stirs both excitement and a touch of uncertainty.
Paul uses that same imagery in Philippians 1:23 when he writes, “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” The word “depart” carries the idea of loosening the ropes and lifting the anchor. It is a nautical term, the very moment when a ship leaves the dock and heads toward its destination. Paul was not speaking of death as an ending, but as a departure. I find that perspective both comforting and challenging. I say this carefully, because I still feel a bit of hesitation when thinking about the process itself. The idea of stepping into the unknown can give pause. Yet Paul’s focus is not on the uncertainty of the journey but on the certainty of the destination. He is waiting for God’s timing, as if listening for that final call to set the lines free. Until then, he remains at his post, ready for either assignment.
The New Testament consistently frames death for the believer in this way. Paul writes, “We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). That statement removes much of the darkness often associated with death. It is not a descent into nothingness, but an arrival into presence. Jesus Himself promised, “I go to prepare a place for you… I will come again and will take you to myself” (John 14:2–3). The voyage has a destination already prepared. This is why believers through the years have spoken of death with a surprising sense of peace. D. L. Moody called it his “Coronation Day,” and others have echoed similar thoughts. Through Christ, the final departure is not a loss but a movement toward something better, a setting sail toward the presence of the One who awaits.