Ben, A lovely sermon. Me? I prefer the use of the word death to to the phrase passing away. I think of death as a lovely full stop, which doesn’t so much deny salvation or resurrection, as gives it meaning. See: winter’s end, then spring awakening.
Apropos of dying and death, I don’t know if you’ve seen this story. Enjoy.
My father had dementia the last two years of his life. In a way he died when the dementia had totally consumed him. That was hell. Then he physically died. I always regarded his physical death as a mercy and I pray that the man and spirit he was before dementia overtook him has soared since his physical death.
Well said, Ben. I, too, prefer the word 'died' to 'passing away'; to me, the latter denies the reality of death. And with my cancer diagnosis, I have come face-to-face with that reality.
Thank you for reminding us that death does not have the final say!!
Ben, A lovely sermon. Me? I prefer the use of the word death to to the phrase passing away. I think of death as a lovely full stop, which doesn’t so much deny salvation or resurrection, as gives it meaning. See: winter’s end, then spring awakening.
Apropos of dying and death, I don’t know if you’ve seen this story. Enjoy.
https://virtualflaneur.medium.com/bellos-final-days-457c3fcf4c63
I love your separation of using death as opposed to passed away.
My father had dementia the last two years of his life. In a way he died when the dementia had totally consumed him. That was hell. Then he physically died. I always regarded his physical death as a mercy and I pray that the man and spirit he was before dementia overtook him has soared since his physical death.
Well said, Ben. I, too, prefer the word 'died' to 'passing away'; to me, the latter denies the reality of death. And with my cancer diagnosis, I have come face-to-face with that reality.
Thank you for reminding us that death does not have the final say!!
Wonderful message. Such a blessing to receive this. Enjoy NYC & you will be missed.
Donnell