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Henri Nouwen Society - Daily Meditation

Wednesday August 21, 2013 

 

Taking the Sting Out of Death 

 

Dying is returning home.  But even though we have been told this many times by many people, we seldom desire to return home.  We prefer to stay where we are.   We know what we have; we do not know what we will get.  Even the most appealing images of the afterlife cannot take away the fear of dying.  We cling to life, even when our relationships are difficult, our economic circumstances harsh, and our health quite poor.

 

Still, Jesus came to take the sting out of death and to help us gradually realise that we don't have to be afraid of death, since death leads us to the place where the deepest desires of our hearts will be satisfied.  It is not easy for us to truly believe that, but every little gesture of trust will bring us closer to this truth.

 

- Henri J. M. Nouwen  

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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.