MSI Press Blog

  Today's guest post from Dr. Dennis Ortman continues the theme he started last week on dying and living. Journey through Death “Unless the grain of wheat dies, it remains just a grain of wheat.” --Jesus of Nazareth   Pope Benedict XVI, the retired pope, recently died. One of his caregivers reported his last dying words: “Lord, I love you.” He was echoing the last words of Jesus on the cross: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Mahatma Gandhi, called the “Great Soul,” was assassinated. His last words were a cry to God: “Ram, Ram, Ram!” The last thought of these men before they died was not of all the loved ones they left behind, but of God, who was their constant companion throughout their lives. They faced death with a tranquil spirit. Socrates, the epitome of wisdom, faced his death with a similar calmness. He was condemned to die on a charge of corrupting the youth of Athens. His friends tried to convince him not to take that fatal drink. Socrates respo...

  Excerpt from  Harnessing the Power of Grief  (Potter): Grief in Modern Times   “Are we perhaps simply formalizing and making applicable to urban life a procedure that would naturally be followed in rural and more closely knit communities?” —Phyllis Silverman studied widowed and children’s grief and the benefits of mutual support [ Silverman ] [1]   Where we are today   Western culture gives limited attention and support to those who are grieving. After a few weeks of grieving, our action-oriented culture thinks (and hopes) you are okay and wants you to return to normal. Some may seem uncomfortable in speaking with you. You may sense that people are avoiding you or avoiding the topic of your loss in conversation. The level of discomfort may increase with the severity of the loss, e.g., a homicide, a suicide, the death of a child, or a sudden death. People may also underestimate the effect on you of other kinds of losses: divorce, relocation, or...