Daily Meditation: Death, a New Birth

Tuesday December 3, 2013 Death, a New Birth   There comes a time in all our lives when we must prepare for death.  When we become old, get seriously ill, or are in great danger, we can't be preoccupied simply with the question of how to get better unless "getting better" means moving on to a life beyond our death.   In our culture, which in so many ways is death oriented, we find little if any creative support for preparing ourselves for a good death.  Most people presume that our only desire is to live longer on this earth.   Still, dying, like giving birth, is a way to new life, and as Ecclesiastes says:  "There is a season for everything: ... a time for giving birth, a time for dying" (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2).   We have to prepare ourselves for our death with the same care and attention as our parents prepared themselves for our births.            We are now sending Weekly Advent e-reflections. If you'd like to receive these weekly emails, click the "Update Profile/Email Address" link at the bottom of this email or click here and enter your email address. Comment on this Daily Meditation. Join our Advent book discussion. Click here for details.   Visit our website for inspiration, resources, news, events, community. Text excerpts taken from Bread for the Journey, by Henri J.M. Nouwen, ©1997 HarperSanFrancisco. All Scripture from The Jerusalem Bible ©1966, 1967, and 1968 Darton, Longman & Todd and Doubleday & Co. Inc. Photo by V. Dobson.

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