Our Greatest Gift

Here is a gentle book about coming to terms with death. Reflecting on the deaths of friends and loved ones, as well as his own, inevitable time - he looks at death as a gift and a chance for us all to impart hope to others. In embracing death, says Nouwen, one comes to ask: 'How can I so live that I can continue to be fruitful when I am no longer here among my family and friends?' In other words, people can make choices that effect not just one's self but also the generations to come - choices to care well, to die well and to embrace Grace. Henri J. M. Nouwen, Franciscan priest, professor, and scholar has spent the last decade working as pastor for a community of adults with learning difficulties in Toronto. This book explores two ideas - that death can be a welcome return to our spiritual source and that impending death offers us opportunities for intense and heartfelt love. 'Death leads to new life,' he says, because it gives us a chance to express gentleness and kindness toward others.