Waiting for the Last Bus
Reflections on Life and Death
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Where do we go when we die? Or is there nowhere to go? Is death something we can do or is it just something that happens to us?
Now in his ninth decade, former Bishop of Edinburgh Richard Holloway has spent a lifetime at the bedsides of the dying, guiding countless men and women towards peaceful deaths. In The Last Bus, he presents a positive, meditative and profound exploration of the many important lessons we can learn from death: facing up to the limitations of our bodies as they falter, reflecting on our failings, and forgiving ourselves and others.
But in a modern world increasingly wary of acknowledging mortality, The Last Bus is also a stirring plea to reacquaint ourselves with death. Facing and welcoming death gives us the chance to think about not only the meaning of our own life, but of life itself; and can mean the difference between ordinary sorrow and unbearable regret at the end.
Radical, joyful and moving, The Last Bus is an invitation to reconsider life's greatest mystery by one of the most important and beloved religious leaders of our time.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Holloway (Leaving Alexandria), former Bishop of Edinburgh, brings wisdom and humor to his astute observations on humanity's preoccupation with death. He begins by examining wide-ranging theories about dying, death, and life after death from different times, cultures, and religions particularly Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. Holloway easily jumps across topics including old age, the fear of death (which many but not all people experience), the antideath movement, near-death experiences, ghosts, spiritualism, funerals, and obituaries. Describing himself as "a doubting priest," he reveals with refreshing honesty how his own theological views have changed ("I neither desire nor expect life after death") while saying of Christianity, "Who can blame it for choosing to confront death not with facts but with poetry?" Using the analogy of life as a card game, Holloway urges readers to contemplate "how we play the last card" and (even if they are not religious) to consider such rituals as confession and honest self-examination: "The tragedy is to die without knowing who you were." This powerful volume abounds with thoughtful guidance for soothing the dying, comforting the grieving, and preparing for one's own death.
