John Climacus, a seventh-century ascetic who wrote "Ladder of Divine Ascent", urged Christians to use the reality of earth to their benefit:
"You cannot pass a day devoutly unless you think of it as your last," he wrote. He called the thought of death the "most essential of all works" and a gift from God.
"The man who lives daily with the thought of death is to be admired, and the man who gives ...
2. Hope in the Citadel of Atheism
John 20:1-18
Illustration
Gary Thomas
Then Vice President George Bush represented the U.S. at the funeral of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. Bush was deeply moved by a silent protest carried out by Brezhnev's widow. She stood motionless by the coffin until seconds before it was closed. Then, just as the soldiers touched the lid, Brezhnev's wife performed an act of great courage and hope, a gesture that must surely rank as one of...
