But I’m here to tell you there’s something else / The afterworld / A world of never-ending happiness / You can always see the sun, day or night / So when you call up that shrink in Beverly Hills / You know the one Dr. Everything’ll Be Alright / Instead of asking him how much of your time is left / Ask him how much of your mind, baby

Prince and the Revolution, “Let’s Go Crazy”

It’s interesting to learn about the vast differences between beliefs in the afterlife. To some, it will be a time of joy. For others, a time of release. And yet for others, it won’t be notable at all. I recently went to the Scrovegni Chapel, and a symbol I learned about there touched me.

The beautiful blue ceiling is covered with eight-pointed stars. In a video presentation I watched before entering the chapel, I learned that this symbol might allude to the afterlife. In the Christian creation story, there is an action that God takes on the first six days, such as creating light or plants. On the seventh day, God rested. With its eight-points, however, the stars reference an unmentioned eighth day.

What happens on the eighth day of creation? As far as the scriptures are concerned, we don’t know yet.

This idea really stood out to me in contrast with the main wall of the chapel. In this fresco, artist Giotto depicts the last days and judgements of God in great detail, based on scripture and verified interpretation. To me, the ceiling pointed out something breathtaking: after The Judgement, we aren’t really completely sure of what will happen.

My interpretation is my own; I don’t claim that this was the intention of the painter or the church. But it does bring up an interesting line of thought. No matter if we believe in an afterlife or not, there is no true understanding of what it is until it is experienced.

There is fear in what is unknown, of course. Yet, in my experience in the Scrovegni Chapel, I found beauty. There’s something so sweet in not knowing what’s next, but choosing to trust in the divine anyways.

What do you think comes after this life? How does that affect the way you live now?