It is rare to find anything on the subject of death and “living fully into the life to come” as the sub-title of this book states. The art of dying well was a subject of much consideration in the Christian circles of the 16th through 19th centuries. Death was an ever-present reality in those days when life spans were shorter and people were more often than not suddenly taken away by it. However, with the increased skills available in the medical profession and a number of other factors death is a matter that is sidelined from conversation and life in general, especially in the Western World. Graveyards are placed on the edge of town indicating the way we in evade the inevitable encroachments of growing old. Yet, in earlier centuries the cemetery was to be found adjacent to the church and those who had gone before were recognized as part of the assembly of the saints, very much alive but who had gone on before. Robert Moll has written a very readable and helpful book that will help us all to reconsider our relationship to dying and therefore, to living. He challenges the way we try to be forever young. He examines the way we screen our children and young people even from the fact of death. He points out that for some of us, the first time we are involved with the departure of anyone from this life is when an elderly parent passes on. This means we could well have lived five decades before death hits us in the eye and presents itself to us. In fact, when confronted with a serious illness such as cancer the first thing we tend to do is to accept the counsel and treatment of the medical experts even if the quality of life that results from it is extremely poor. To take it all to God and to ask whether we have run our course is not the first thing we do. This author has much experience in seeking to help people prepare themselves for passing from this life into the presence of God. It is plain that his experiences have pressed in upon him and he was encouraged by others to write on these matters. He tells us that husbands and wives should discuss their passing well in advance so as to ascertain the will of their partner should a stroke or some other serious life threatening condition appear. His counsel is wise and valid, the whole tone of the book is not pedantic but thought provoking as it places life in the context of our death, things temporal in the light of the eternal. We should welcome this attempt to bring to our attention these matters and pay earnest heed to the subject matter. He does not write in a ‘heavy’ way, it is not hyper spiritual or sentimental but thoroughly realistic and to the point.
