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Death by Living: Life Is Meant to Be Spent
A poetic portrait of faith, futility, and the joy of this mortal life.
In this astoundingly unique book, bestselling author N.D. Wilson reminds each of us that to truly live we must recognize that we are dying. Every second we create more of our past—more decisions, more breathing, more love and more loathing, all of it slides by into the gone as we race to grab at more moments, at more memories made and already fading.
We are all authors, creators of our own pasts, of the books that will be our lives. We stare at the future or obsess about the present, but only the past has been set in stone, and we are the ones setting it. When we race across the wet concrete of time without purpose, without goals, without laughter and love and sacrifice, then we fail in our mortal moment. We race toward our inevitable ends without artistry and without beauty.
All of us must pause and breathe. See the past, see your life as the fruit of providence and thousands of personal narratives. What led to you? You did not choose where to set your feet in time. You choose where to set them next.
Then, we must see the future, not just to stare into the fog of distant years but to see the crystal choices as they race toward us in this sharp foreground we call the present. We stand in the now. God says create. Live. Choose. Shape the past. Etch your life in stone, and what you make will be forever.188 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 686 reviews
June 29, 2016
Only The Lord of the Rings has made me laugh and cry at the same time, but Death by Living came close. It certainly made me do both, even if at separate moments. By the time I finished, I was so full of sehnsucht (that “overwhelming bittersweet yearning that bleeds into joy”), I felt ready to detonate—like Agent Smith in The Matrix, split by the light-spear, but in a good way. I wanted to live. I wanted to die.
I was glad that I could do both, right now.
You’ve heard it said that from the minute you’re born, you’re dying—as if that’s a bad thing. N. D. Wilson shows that death is not just the last enemy, it is the calling to which we are called, a calling which we can fear and lament and ignore and refuse (for a while), but only to our harm. You are a pitcher, and you will be poured out. You can be vinegar or you can be wine, but you will poured regardless. You can be dumped out and wasted in the cracks on the sidewalk, or you can be poured into goblets and drunk by others, for others. The choice is yours. Age well. Mellow. Do not despise the Hand that tips you. Do not begrudge the mouths that drink you dry. You follow the Man who shed His blood like wine for you.
“A grim morn, and a glad day, and a golden sunset,” wrote Tolkien as Theoden lay dying. Death by Living is Wilson’s sketch of man’s golden sunset as intended by God, captured by words to make your blood pound, ready to be shed. It made me want to grab life around the middle and squeeze, but not forever. I will let go. My life for yours, every day, until I have nothing left, and then I will let go one last time.
“This is my body,” Nate says to his children. “May it be broken for you."
The morning is grim only for those who do not know the story.
I was glad that I could do both, right now.
You’ve heard it said that from the minute you’re born, you’re dying—as if that’s a bad thing. N. D. Wilson shows that death is not just the last enemy, it is the calling to which we are called, a calling which we can fear and lament and ignore and refuse (for a while), but only to our harm. You are a pitcher, and you will be poured out. You can be vinegar or you can be wine, but you will poured regardless. You can be dumped out and wasted in the cracks on the sidewalk, or you can be poured into goblets and drunk by others, for others. The choice is yours. Age well. Mellow. Do not despise the Hand that tips you. Do not begrudge the mouths that drink you dry. You follow the Man who shed His blood like wine for you.
“A grim morn, and a glad day, and a golden sunset,” wrote Tolkien as Theoden lay dying. Death by Living is Wilson’s sketch of man’s golden sunset as intended by God, captured by words to make your blood pound, ready to be shed. It made me want to grab life around the middle and squeeze, but not forever. I will let go. My life for yours, every day, until I have nothing left, and then I will let go one last time.
“This is my body,” Nate says to his children. “May it be broken for you."
The morning is grim only for those who do not know the story.
August 25, 2013
I know I'm going to get crucified by the Wilson fanboys for rating this book so low, but it just didn't live up to the hype. Don't get me wrong, ND Wilson is a great, creative writer. But honestly, it felt like the book tried too hard to be creative. There were many points where the creativity seemed to actually hide the point he was trying to make. I struggled to take away one main point from this book. I sort of feel like I should pull a George Costanza and say, "It's not you, it's me," to this book. Maybe the problem is me. Maybe I'm way too dense. I just wish the book could have been a tad more linear and knit together. I really wish I could rate this book higher. I tried to like it, I really did. But in the end it didn't do it for me.
January 1, 2026
December 2025 — I missed it in 2024, but wrapping up 2025 with my traditional last book of the year.
*****
December 2023 — The same-as-always conviction that I need to be way more grateful than I am.
*****
December 2022 — Last book of the year, and still my favorite. The scene in the Vatican ("The boy had gone pope slapping" never fails to crack me up) was particularly fitting for the day when Ratzinger's death is the biggest headline. All the Jim stories made me cry again as he finally won his race this year. Chapter 6 is still the best of the best. All the reminders I need are still needed.
*****
December 2021 — I somehow made it through 2020 without listening to this. I think I started it at some point and got distracted. This time (as every time) I cried in all the crying places and felt convicted at all the feeling convicted places. I made it through the Rome story without my blood pressure hitting the stratosphere, so perhaps that crying and conviction are actually making a little progress in me. Surprisingly, the last grandparent is still hanging in there, slowed by time but not by inclination.
*****
December 2019 — Couldn't let 2019 end without squeezing in this favorite. Appropriate for Christmas, the celebration of the Man born to die.
I've posted lots of moving and profound quotes from DBL before, but the one I was most looking forward to and enjoyed again this time was a funny: "The boy had gone pope slapping."
The four cornerstones of this book are the author's four grandparents. When he wrote it, there were two left. Now there is only one. By the next time I read it, they will all be gone. James I. Wilson no longer goes out fishing, but his line is still in the water in case any fish come to him. When I think of it, I pray God will send him one more to catch before the end. His body has all but given out, but his soul is still on duty. Be sure to read Grace upon Grace when it comes out.
*****
March 2018 — Listened to a long stretch of another book today before deciding it just wasn't good Sabbath soul food. So I scrolled through ye olde iPod for something better suited and settled on a sixth trip through Death by Living. (Settled not as in settled for something less, but as in settled in.) For a few days I'd been vaguely out of sorts; as usual, DBL sorted me out. Gratitude is liberation.
*****
April 2017 — Seemed like a good time for a relisten.
*****
My theme for 2013 was joy. This year it's gratitude. So an early re-consuming of Death by Living was in order: "Gratitude is liberation." "Burden your moments with thankfulness."
This time through, I went with the audiobook (for which I bartered with the publisher for part of the price of a cake). It's read by the author, which is always the best way.
When I finished it last night, I was still working on a project, so I scrolled through the audiobook listing on my iPod in search of another listen. I came across a small stash of biographical lectures by John Piper and clicked on the first one before I even took time to note the tite: "How Few There Are Who Die So Hard!" Adoniram Judson lived by dying. He laid down his life over and over and over again in nearly forty years of missionary work in Burma.
Most of the stories in Death by Living aren't quite so harrowing as decades of torture, repeat widowhood, and the loss of eight children to disease in a preindustrial pagan country, but the idea is the same: Whatever life you're called to, live gratefully, live sacrificially, or you're really not living at all. Being a living sacrifice isn't usually a one-off event; it's a day-by-day, minute-by-minute pouring out of life. It's death by living. I woke up this morning with a renewed eagerness to receive every circumstance with thanksgiving and to get much, much better at loving my neighbor. Gotta love a book that inspires that. Thanks again for the kick in the pants, Nate!
*****
A fun moment: A few weeks ago, I entered Jim Wilson's house for the first time. I was taken aback to be taken back in time at the sight of the carpet. It was the exact same stuff my mom had installed in our house in Baltimore (and which I'd had the great pleasure of ripping out about fifteen years ago). Golly, I thought. How long has that been here? And his grandson delivered the answer: "...the gold-brown carpet that has been there since before I was born." I did the math. Yep, sounds about right.
*****
Initial review of print version.
*****
December 2023 — The same-as-always conviction that I need to be way more grateful than I am.
*****
December 2022 — Last book of the year, and still my favorite. The scene in the Vatican ("The boy had gone pope slapping" never fails to crack me up) was particularly fitting for the day when Ratzinger's death is the biggest headline. All the Jim stories made me cry again as he finally won his race this year. Chapter 6 is still the best of the best. All the reminders I need are still needed.
*****
December 2021 — I somehow made it through 2020 without listening to this. I think I started it at some point and got distracted. This time (as every time) I cried in all the crying places and felt convicted at all the feeling convicted places. I made it through the Rome story without my blood pressure hitting the stratosphere, so perhaps that crying and conviction are actually making a little progress in me. Surprisingly, the last grandparent is still hanging in there, slowed by time but not by inclination.
*****
December 2019 — Couldn't let 2019 end without squeezing in this favorite. Appropriate for Christmas, the celebration of the Man born to die.
I've posted lots of moving and profound quotes from DBL before, but the one I was most looking forward to and enjoyed again this time was a funny: "The boy had gone pope slapping."
The four cornerstones of this book are the author's four grandparents. When he wrote it, there were two left. Now there is only one. By the next time I read it, they will all be gone. James I. Wilson no longer goes out fishing, but his line is still in the water in case any fish come to him. When I think of it, I pray God will send him one more to catch before the end. His body has all but given out, but his soul is still on duty. Be sure to read Grace upon Grace when it comes out.
*****
March 2018 — Listened to a long stretch of another book today before deciding it just wasn't good Sabbath soul food. So I scrolled through ye olde iPod for something better suited and settled on a sixth trip through Death by Living. (Settled not as in settled for something less, but as in settled in.) For a few days I'd been vaguely out of sorts; as usual, DBL sorted me out. Gratitude is liberation.
*****
April 2017 — Seemed like a good time for a relisten.
*****
My theme for 2013 was joy. This year it's gratitude. So an early re-consuming of Death by Living was in order: "Gratitude is liberation." "Burden your moments with thankfulness."
This time through, I went with the audiobook (for which I bartered with the publisher for part of the price of a cake). It's read by the author, which is always the best way.
When I finished it last night, I was still working on a project, so I scrolled through the audiobook listing on my iPod in search of another listen. I came across a small stash of biographical lectures by John Piper and clicked on the first one before I even took time to note the tite: "How Few There Are Who Die So Hard!" Adoniram Judson lived by dying. He laid down his life over and over and over again in nearly forty years of missionary work in Burma.
Most of the stories in Death by Living aren't quite so harrowing as decades of torture, repeat widowhood, and the loss of eight children to disease in a preindustrial pagan country, but the idea is the same: Whatever life you're called to, live gratefully, live sacrificially, or you're really not living at all. Being a living sacrifice isn't usually a one-off event; it's a day-by-day, minute-by-minute pouring out of life. It's death by living. I woke up this morning with a renewed eagerness to receive every circumstance with thanksgiving and to get much, much better at loving my neighbor. Gotta love a book that inspires that. Thanks again for the kick in the pants, Nate!
*****
A fun moment: A few weeks ago, I entered Jim Wilson's house for the first time. I was taken aback to be taken back in time at the sight of the carpet. It was the exact same stuff my mom had installed in our house in Baltimore (and which I'd had the great pleasure of ripping out about fifteen years ago). Golly, I thought. How long has that been here? And his grandson delivered the answer: "...the gold-brown carpet that has been there since before I was born." I did the math. Yep, sounds about right.
*****
Initial review of print version.
April 11, 2013
Got to read the galleys, having already read the rough manuscript. This is fantastic.
June 16, 2023
2023: This is a must read -and a must re-read. It always has something new for you.
An invitation (impossible to turn down) to live a purposely, fully, and grateful life -and be excited to live it facing the finish line.
Read it again, and again I laughed and cried with this book in 2015.
2017 - Read it again. Started it the same day that N.D. Wilson had to go into surgery to have a brain tumor removed. Seemed the right time and the right thing to do. I am grateful I did. And I am grateful he has given more days to write more pages-
An invitation (impossible to turn down) to live a purposely, fully, and grateful life -and be excited to live it facing the finish line.
Read it again, and again I laughed and cried with this book in 2015.
2017 - Read it again. Started it the same day that N.D. Wilson had to go into surgery to have a brain tumor removed. Seemed the right time and the right thing to do. I am grateful I did. And I am grateful he has given more days to write more pages-
January 8, 2025
2025: Re-read again. Different quotes grabbed me this time 'round. And then other parts, given my frequent re-reads, felt like they were things I already knew. I don't know if I'll read it again in 2026 or hit or the pause button on it. But, regardless, it's proved a good way to kick off this year, reminding myself that we live more fully when we're spilling out.
*****
2024 re-read. Same quotes got me this time around as well:
"Lay your life down. Your heartbeats cannot be hoarded. Your reservoir of breaths is draining away. You have hands, blister them while you can. You have bones, make them strain - they can carry nothing in the grave. You have lungs, let them spill with laughter." (p. 84)
"Enjoy life now. And now. And now. Before the nows are gone. See the gifts. Savor the food, knowing you will have to swallow." (p. 109)
*******
2021 re-read.
The same quotes get me each and every time -
I am often asked why I write fiction for children. Because those I am called to feed are still children. Because I am still a child. Because the world is big and the world is wonderful, but it is also terrifying. It is an ocean full of paper boats. And for many children, the only nobility, the only joy, the only strength and sacrifice that they see first hand - that they see enfleshed - comes in fiction." (p. 30-31)
"As it turns out, there is a difference between asserting that life is a story and actually living life like a story. And there is another difference between living life like a story and living life like a good story." (p. 71)
"Stories mean trouble. Stories mean hardship. The fall of man did not introduce evil; it placed us on the wrong side of it, under its rule, needing rescue. And God is not an aura ruling auras. His Son has flesh even now. You have flesh. The story is concrete, it is for real, and it is played for keeps." (page 77)
"Take up your life and follow Him. Face trouble. Pursue it. Climb it. Smile at its roar like a tree planted by cool water even when your branches groan, when your golden leaves are stripped and the frost bites deep, even when your grip on this earth is torn loose and you fall among mourning saplings." (p. 83)
"Lay your life down. Your heartbeats cannot be hoarded. Your reservoir of breaths is draining away. You have hands, blister them while you can. You have bones, make them strain - they can carry nothing in the grave. You have lungs, let them spill with laughter." (p. 84)
"Enjoy life now. And now. And now. Before the nows are gone. See the gifts. Savor the food, knowing you will have to swallow." (p. 109)
*****
2024 re-read. Same quotes got me this time around as well:
"Lay your life down. Your heartbeats cannot be hoarded. Your reservoir of breaths is draining away. You have hands, blister them while you can. You have bones, make them strain - they can carry nothing in the grave. You have lungs, let them spill with laughter." (p. 84)
"Enjoy life now. And now. And now. Before the nows are gone. See the gifts. Savor the food, knowing you will have to swallow." (p. 109)
*******
2021 re-read.
The same quotes get me each and every time -
I am often asked why I write fiction for children. Because those I am called to feed are still children. Because I am still a child. Because the world is big and the world is wonderful, but it is also terrifying. It is an ocean full of paper boats. And for many children, the only nobility, the only joy, the only strength and sacrifice that they see first hand - that they see enfleshed - comes in fiction." (p. 30-31)
"As it turns out, there is a difference between asserting that life is a story and actually living life like a story. And there is another difference between living life like a story and living life like a good story." (p. 71)
"Stories mean trouble. Stories mean hardship. The fall of man did not introduce evil; it placed us on the wrong side of it, under its rule, needing rescue. And God is not an aura ruling auras. His Son has flesh even now. You have flesh. The story is concrete, it is for real, and it is played for keeps." (page 77)
"Take up your life and follow Him. Face trouble. Pursue it. Climb it. Smile at its roar like a tree planted by cool water even when your branches groan, when your golden leaves are stripped and the frost bites deep, even when your grip on this earth is torn loose and you fall among mourning saplings." (p. 83)
"Lay your life down. Your heartbeats cannot be hoarded. Your reservoir of breaths is draining away. You have hands, blister them while you can. You have bones, make them strain - they can carry nothing in the grave. You have lungs, let them spill with laughter." (p. 84)
"Enjoy life now. And now. And now. Before the nows are gone. See the gifts. Savor the food, knowing you will have to swallow." (p. 109)
March 5, 2019
Simplesmente incrível. Não vou conseguir dizer nada além de "LEIA ESTE LIVRO!" por achar que vai ser uma diminuição.
June 14, 2025
See here for a new edition with an added afterword by the author.
Very good continuation of Tilt. "Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl focuses on a way of seeing. With this book, the focus is on a way of living, a way of receiving life" (xi).
Lots of humor and stories mixed in with theological insights, and all written very poetically. See excerpts here and here.
I've heard that some critics of Wilson's writing style say that he overwrites, that he's trying too hard. Know the names of these critics? Me neither.
Very good continuation of Tilt. "Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl focuses on a way of seeing. With this book, the focus is on a way of living, a way of receiving life" (xi).
Lots of humor and stories mixed in with theological insights, and all written very poetically. See excerpts here and here.
I've heard that some critics of Wilson's writing style say that he overwrites, that he's trying too hard. Know the names of these critics? Me neither.
October 31, 2024
Five star ratings are for books that changed my life. Books that will never be forgotten, by me or anyone who is silly enough to ask me what my favorite books are.
This book got five stars.
I don't know where to start or where to end. This book made me conscious of every passing second as it slipped by into eternity, but didn't overwhelm me with a sense of insufficiency. It reminded me that I'm not in control of my life, and that I don't have to be because Christ is. It encouraged me to enjoy the journey, and the people who journey with me.
It convinced me that maybe big international vacations are best done once children know how not to throw up in a moving vehicle. (I'm sorry for all of Rome.)
This book is encouraging and fun and wonderful and will always have a place on my shelf, if it isn't in my palm.
This book got five stars.
I don't know where to start or where to end. This book made me conscious of every passing second as it slipped by into eternity, but didn't overwhelm me with a sense of insufficiency. It reminded me that I'm not in control of my life, and that I don't have to be because Christ is. It encouraged me to enjoy the journey, and the people who journey with me.
It convinced me that maybe big international vacations are best done once children know how not to throw up in a moving vehicle. (I'm sorry for all of Rome.)
This book is encouraging and fun and wonderful and will always have a place on my shelf, if it isn't in my palm.
November 10, 2022
Poetic, raw, deeply stirring.
Mortality is a gift and a joy, for God has redeemed our brokenness and given us hope. And through His Son he showed us a new form of glory: death by living.
May we never forget: a mortal life utterly spent in service of God and others is truly a life well-lived.
May my living be grace to those behind me.
Mortality is a gift and a joy, for God has redeemed our brokenness and given us hope. And through His Son he showed us a new form of glory: death by living.
May we never forget: a mortal life utterly spent in service of God and others is truly a life well-lived.
May my living be grace to those behind me.
December 6, 2024
Round six. It gets better every time.
"You've given them everything.”
"Not everything. Not yet." - Bruce Wayne
···
Returning to this book keeps me focused on the things that truly matter.
Living is dying. We are all already dying. Living well is dying for others.
(Read in: September 2013, November 2014, June 2015, May 2017, January 2018, December 2024.)
"You've given them everything.”
"Not everything. Not yet." - Bruce Wayne
···
Returning to this book keeps me focused on the things that truly matter.
Living is dying. We are all already dying. Living well is dying for others.
(Read in: September 2013, November 2014, June 2015, May 2017, January 2018, December 2024.)
March 22, 2022
This book is a poetic theology of life and death... wandering, lyrical, fresh, and incredibly truthful. It's a journey told through anecdotes in a man’s life that could well be part of any person’s experience. It's a story threaded with meaning and musings that made me stop and think, and nod my head, and sometimes drop a tear or two as it brought home to me the weight of mortality, and the freedom of life that transcends the strange and blessed curse of death. On almost every account, Death by Living is a profound gem of a book.
Without a doubt, it's one I want to read again. And again.
Highly recommended.
Without a doubt, it's one I want to read again. And again.
Highly recommended.
July 18, 2018
"Entenda isto: nós somos ao mesmo tempo pequenos e imensos. Não somos nada mais que barro moldado que recebeu fôlego, mas não somos nada menos que autorretratos divinos, a arfar e ofegar ao longo de cordilheiras de arcos narrativos épicos preparados pela própria Palavra infinita. Encha-se de orgulho e gratidão, porque você é pequeno e recebeu muito."
November 23, 2013
N. D. Wilson mentions early in this book his childhood penchant for hitting his sisters. I don't think he's quite grown out of the habit, because Death by Living delivers slug in the arm after slap in the face after sock in the jaw. And dang it all if he doesn't almost make it fun. Get up! Get busy! Get living! Get dying! Look at how joyful and glorious it is when you do!
I posted several quotes on my blog. Here's another one (from pp. 40-41) [brackets are mine]:
See, it turns out trouble's not a bug, it's a feature. I was quite surprised to find myself convinced [zing!] that troubles were a built-in characteristic of life in Eden, not just a result of the fall. But I won't give that away: read chapter 6, "Born to Trouble," which is worth the price of admission.
Death by Living made a lazy, lily-livered lout like me want to dig deeper, work harder, die jollier, and live thankfuller. A welcome kick [boom!] in the keister.
I posted several quotes on my blog. Here's another one (from pp. 40-41) [brackets are mine]:
When faced with unpleasantness (trouble) there are only two ultimate responses (with many variations). On the one hand, "The Lord gives, the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord." On the other, "Curse God and die." Variations on the latter can include whining [whap!], moping [bam!], self-pity [pow!], apathy [zap!], or rage [biff!]. Variations on the former can include laughter, song, retellings, and an energetic attack of obstacles.On page 73, he asks what kind of character you'd like to be in the grand and wonderful story we're all bound to contribute to. I thought of one character I dread being, but too often am: Mary Musgrove from Persuasion. All hail the High Queen of the Self-Involved Whiners! This book made my inner Mary Musgrove laugh, not by silly, distracting antics, but by revealing the solid joys and lasting treasure at the foundation of all the obstacles and hardships of life.
If God gives you (or makes you) a joke, what are you meant to do in response? (Receive it. Laugh.)
If God gives you an obstacle, what are you meant to do in response? (Receive it. Climb it. Then laugh.)
If God gives you more profound hardship, what are you meant to do in response? (Receive it. Climb it. Then laugh. Exhibit A: His Son.)
See, it turns out trouble's not a bug, it's a feature. I was quite surprised to find myself convinced [zing!] that troubles were a built-in characteristic of life in Eden, not just a result of the fall. But I won't give that away: read chapter 6, "Born to Trouble," which is worth the price of admission.
Death by Living made a lazy, lily-livered lout like me want to dig deeper, work harder, die jollier, and live thankfuller. A welcome kick [boom!] in the keister.
July 29, 2025
And if time is a river, may you leave a wake.
January 7, 2026
I think this book is less and less my thing as I age, but in many ways it made me the woman I am today and I'm grateful for that. Wilson is at his finest when he is talking about Jesus and His kingdom; some of his takes on various philosophers irk me, and his language is terribly casual sometimes. But certain moments capture me (the chapter on Jerusalem in particular). I'm glad I loved this book, and glad to love it still, albeit in a different way. I recommend his Notes from the Tilt-a-whirl more, and I do think his magnificent middle-grade fantasy series Ashtown Burials is the fictional instantiation of the philosophy he here espouses, so if you're going to read just one NDW thing, read that series.
And whether you read this book or not, do lay your life down for others and let your hands blister in service of the Kingdom of God.
Different lines caught my attention this time through than the previous three reads; here are some of them:
A drought in the Midwest and a hawk chasing a crow are both scenes that hold His attention. They are not things that happen which he then may or may not notice... He speaks and crafts every piece of matter woven into those scenes, and that is why they happen. His speaking is their happening.
In the end, I will face the greatest enemy that any man has ever faced. And I will lose.
If He'd wanted a spiritual kingdom, He could have saved Himself a huge amount of trouble by just skipping Christmas and the Crucifixion.
Jesus, the Word made physical, the Man born for trouble we cannot comprehend... would experience betrayal, profound brutality, and death. He had come for exactly that reason. He had come for death, for a bride living (and dying) beneath a curse.
He was Adam done right.
If life is a story, how shall we then live? It isn't complicated (just hard). Take up your life and follow Him. Face trouble. Pursue it. Climb it. Smile at its roar like a tree planted by cool water even when your branches groan...
Shall we die for ourselves or die for others?
The first Reaper is a foe, rending soul from flesh, and oh, how we run from him, how we stop our breathing and cower behind locked doors in our mortal darkness. But when our Brother takes up the scythe, there will be drums and sun and sweat mixed with laughter. Then we will beg not to be Passed Over.
He was pierced and scourged and mocked. He was cursed and raised upon a tree, but He was in that ancient pose of victory. An old man on a hill, a blind man between two pillars, the God Man on a cross... That Moses kept his hands up.
Thoughts from 2023:
And whether you read this book or not, do lay your life down for others and let your hands blister in service of the Kingdom of God.
Different lines caught my attention this time through than the previous three reads; here are some of them:
A drought in the Midwest and a hawk chasing a crow are both scenes that hold His attention. They are not things that happen which he then may or may not notice... He speaks and crafts every piece of matter woven into those scenes, and that is why they happen. His speaking is their happening.
In the end, I will face the greatest enemy that any man has ever faced. And I will lose.
If He'd wanted a spiritual kingdom, He could have saved Himself a huge amount of trouble by just skipping Christmas and the Crucifixion.
Jesus, the Word made physical, the Man born for trouble we cannot comprehend... would experience betrayal, profound brutality, and death. He had come for exactly that reason. He had come for death, for a bride living (and dying) beneath a curse.
He was Adam done right.
If life is a story, how shall we then live? It isn't complicated (just hard). Take up your life and follow Him. Face trouble. Pursue it. Climb it. Smile at its roar like a tree planted by cool water even when your branches groan...
Shall we die for ourselves or die for others?
The first Reaper is a foe, rending soul from flesh, and oh, how we run from him, how we stop our breathing and cower behind locked doors in our mortal darkness. But when our Brother takes up the scythe, there will be drums and sun and sweat mixed with laughter. Then we will beg not to be Passed Over.
He was pierced and scourged and mocked. He was cursed and raised upon a tree, but He was in that ancient pose of victory. An old man on a hill, a blind man between two pillars, the God Man on a cross... That Moses kept his hands up.
Thoughts from 2023:
July 22, 2024
Grasshoppers, swings, dirt, traffic jams, puppy dogs, and blue skies. N.D. Wilson appears to be captivated by everyday objects and everyday situations. He appears to be captivated by life. Living life is what his new book is meant to convey - really living life. But living means dying. So the author wordsmiths his way into the heart of readers by painting portraits of life and death - most of which arise from his own life and the life of his family and extended family.
Death by Living is a plea for people to live life as God intends. In other words, to quote Red from Shawshank Redemption, "Get busy livin' or get busy dyin." Wilson challenges readers to get busy living which of course will culminate with death: "How much of the vineyard can we burn first? How fast can we run? How deeply can we laugh? Can we ever give more than we receive? How much gratitude can we show? How many of the least of these can we touch along the way? How many seeds will we get into the ground before we ourselves are planted?"
A theme that runs through Wilson's work is that life is a story. Life is a story that each of us participate in. Indeed, we write our stories every day. But the author maintains, "there is a difference between asserting that life is a story and actually living life like a story. And there is another difference between living life like a story and living life like a good story." Living life like a story, therefore, is part and parcel of the Christian life.
The author helps readers see what real living looks like: "Grabbing will always fail. Giving will always succeed ... Our children, our friends, and our neighbors will all be better off if we work to accumulate for their sakes ... Don't leave food uneaten, strength unspent, wine undrunk."
Wilson urges readers to live with all their might. And while he never mentions Jonathan Edwards, I hear Edwards' influence everywhere in this book. Edwards himself penned 70 resolutions that reflect many of the propositions in Death by Living. One of those resolutions is to "live with all my might, while I do live" (Resolution 6). Nate Wilson argues in the same vein: "Laugh from your gut. Burden your moments with thankfulness. Be as empty as you can be when that clock winds down. Spend your life. And if time is a river, may you leave a wake."
Death by Living will elicit laughter. Lots of laughter. I found myself reading portions of Wilson's work to my wife and she would laugh with me. In fact, I haven't laughed so hard in a while! Some won't find Wilson's humor funny - which makes me laugh harder! Death by Living may prompt tears. There is a realism here that is hard to come by these days. This author speaks in candid terms. Taking prisoners simply isn't an option. All the cards are on the table. Readers are left to determine a whether the "hand they've been dealt" will result in joyful, Christ-saturated living or death by a thousand qualifications. Far too many have simply thrown in the towel. Wilson argues from an entirely different perspective as he encourages readers that "life is meant to be spent."
One reviewer compares Wilson to John Eldredge - what is likely meant to be a compliment. Sure, whatever. I prefer as I have done elsewhere [See my review: Notes From the Tilt-a-Whirl] to compare Wilson to Dennis Miller, G.K. Chesterton, and C.S. Lewis - a compliment to be sure! Death by Living is about the gospel but it never comes across in "preachy" tones. It's a celebration of life lived and ended well. It's about a life that is lived passionately and faithfully. Death by Living is about living well; about living with passion; about living to honor Christ. But it is also about dying well. We are called to finish strong and die well - all to the glory of God!
5 stars
www.davidsteele.blog
Death by Living is a plea for people to live life as God intends. In other words, to quote Red from Shawshank Redemption, "Get busy livin' or get busy dyin." Wilson challenges readers to get busy living which of course will culminate with death: "How much of the vineyard can we burn first? How fast can we run? How deeply can we laugh? Can we ever give more than we receive? How much gratitude can we show? How many of the least of these can we touch along the way? How many seeds will we get into the ground before we ourselves are planted?"
A theme that runs through Wilson's work is that life is a story. Life is a story that each of us participate in. Indeed, we write our stories every day. But the author maintains, "there is a difference between asserting that life is a story and actually living life like a story. And there is another difference between living life like a story and living life like a good story." Living life like a story, therefore, is part and parcel of the Christian life.
The author helps readers see what real living looks like: "Grabbing will always fail. Giving will always succeed ... Our children, our friends, and our neighbors will all be better off if we work to accumulate for their sakes ... Don't leave food uneaten, strength unspent, wine undrunk."
Wilson urges readers to live with all their might. And while he never mentions Jonathan Edwards, I hear Edwards' influence everywhere in this book. Edwards himself penned 70 resolutions that reflect many of the propositions in Death by Living. One of those resolutions is to "live with all my might, while I do live" (Resolution 6). Nate Wilson argues in the same vein: "Laugh from your gut. Burden your moments with thankfulness. Be as empty as you can be when that clock winds down. Spend your life. And if time is a river, may you leave a wake."
Death by Living will elicit laughter. Lots of laughter. I found myself reading portions of Wilson's work to my wife and she would laugh with me. In fact, I haven't laughed so hard in a while! Some won't find Wilson's humor funny - which makes me laugh harder! Death by Living may prompt tears. There is a realism here that is hard to come by these days. This author speaks in candid terms. Taking prisoners simply isn't an option. All the cards are on the table. Readers are left to determine a whether the "hand they've been dealt" will result in joyful, Christ-saturated living or death by a thousand qualifications. Far too many have simply thrown in the towel. Wilson argues from an entirely different perspective as he encourages readers that "life is meant to be spent."
One reviewer compares Wilson to John Eldredge - what is likely meant to be a compliment. Sure, whatever. I prefer as I have done elsewhere [See my review: Notes From the Tilt-a-Whirl] to compare Wilson to Dennis Miller, G.K. Chesterton, and C.S. Lewis - a compliment to be sure! Death by Living is about the gospel but it never comes across in "preachy" tones. It's a celebration of life lived and ended well. It's about a life that is lived passionately and faithfully. Death by Living is about living well; about living with passion; about living to honor Christ. But it is also about dying well. We are called to finish strong and die well - all to the glory of God!
5 stars
www.davidsteele.blog
November 5, 2021
Like his previous book, "Notes From the Tilt-a-Whirl", "Death By Living" is difficult to describe. The two books are companion volumes, as Wilson notes in the beginning of this book.
"Death By Living" has a few central themes working through it--the first is life is meant to be lived in the present. This is not a new, or radical theme, but the way Wilson works it out is creative and meaningful. God presents us with certain opportunities--every one dealing with what is right before us. This means family, work, neighbors, tense drives through snow on top of a mountain, kids with motion sickness on an airplane, etc. Let us not simply endure such things, but embrace the moment and what God has called us to do in our own story.
Our sense of story often prevents us from understanding the importance of mundane moments in life. We often look toward a future goal and strive for its attainment and in the process, we overlook that which is right before us. But God calls us to be present in the moment--to love our neighbor, to worship God in all things, not just the "big things" however we may discern the so-called differences between the two.
This living in the moment entails a view of the past and memory that I found very helpful. I've often thought along similar lines, and Wilson put words and concrete ideas to what I've struggled to articulate myself. He looks at memories as things which form us, not as facts that we must remember or they're lost. It is not important that we remember the details of the lessons our parents taught us, so much as that we're shaped by the lessons themselves. We don't need to remember the circumstances of how we mistreated a sibling, but we need to be shaped by the lesson to love.
We don't need to remember every moral lesson, or the content of every "teachable moment" in our youth, but we need to be shaped by the lessons.
Along the same lines, we can look at relationships as edifying and important even if they are brief. God puts people in our lives--or us in the lives of others, for specific reasons. We can't always understand why, but we have a role to play, and we can play that role by simply loving our neighbor, by sharing that moment with someone, even if we never see them again.
Wilson demonstrates this poignantly in the lives of both of his grandfathers, whose lives were saved by strangers--some knowingly putting their lives at risk, others by simply following orders. We may be called to sacrifice our lives for our neighbor in the same way, or we may find others willing to sacrifice themselves for us. We may simply serve the present needs of a neighbor by a kind word, or a cup of water.
The central theme of the book, is, as the title describes, that lives are meant to be spent. Our lives are not our own, and greedily holding on to it tightly doesn't mean we save something for the end, as we lose whatever we manage to save. Live without regrets, and give all you have to whatever, and whoever God puts before you.
It is a beautiful message and gives meaning to every moment in life. Highly recommended.
"Death By Living" has a few central themes working through it--the first is life is meant to be lived in the present. This is not a new, or radical theme, but the way Wilson works it out is creative and meaningful. God presents us with certain opportunities--every one dealing with what is right before us. This means family, work, neighbors, tense drives through snow on top of a mountain, kids with motion sickness on an airplane, etc. Let us not simply endure such things, but embrace the moment and what God has called us to do in our own story.
Our sense of story often prevents us from understanding the importance of mundane moments in life. We often look toward a future goal and strive for its attainment and in the process, we overlook that which is right before us. But God calls us to be present in the moment--to love our neighbor, to worship God in all things, not just the "big things" however we may discern the so-called differences between the two.
This living in the moment entails a view of the past and memory that I found very helpful. I've often thought along similar lines, and Wilson put words and concrete ideas to what I've struggled to articulate myself. He looks at memories as things which form us, not as facts that we must remember or they're lost. It is not important that we remember the details of the lessons our parents taught us, so much as that we're shaped by the lessons themselves. We don't need to remember the circumstances of how we mistreated a sibling, but we need to be shaped by the lesson to love.
We don't need to remember every moral lesson, or the content of every "teachable moment" in our youth, but we need to be shaped by the lessons.
Along the same lines, we can look at relationships as edifying and important even if they are brief. God puts people in our lives--or us in the lives of others, for specific reasons. We can't always understand why, but we have a role to play, and we can play that role by simply loving our neighbor, by sharing that moment with someone, even if we never see them again.
Wilson demonstrates this poignantly in the lives of both of his grandfathers, whose lives were saved by strangers--some knowingly putting their lives at risk, others by simply following orders. We may be called to sacrifice our lives for our neighbor in the same way, or we may find others willing to sacrifice themselves for us. We may simply serve the present needs of a neighbor by a kind word, or a cup of water.
The central theme of the book, is, as the title describes, that lives are meant to be spent. Our lives are not our own, and greedily holding on to it tightly doesn't mean we save something for the end, as we lose whatever we manage to save. Live without regrets, and give all you have to whatever, and whoever God puts before you.
It is a beautiful message and gives meaning to every moment in life. Highly recommended.
February 5, 2014
With only his second non-fiction book, Wilson has quickly become one of my favorite living authors. A poet at heart, Wilson challenges us to reconsider life and death. Weaving lovely tales of ordinary life with his wife and children with heart-wrenching remembrances of his grandparents alongside philosophical reflections in a book that will cause you to chuckle on one page and tear up on the next.
Read this book because it will call you to the carpet for your lack of courage. Read it because it will turn your eyes to the gifts that surround you daily. Read it because it will challenge the way you think about death. And about life.
Read this book because it will call you to the carpet for your lack of courage. Read it because it will turn your eyes to the gifts that surround you daily. Read it because it will challenge the way you think about death. And about life.
August 29, 2024
This is one of my favorite books just about living. Or dying. Or dying by living, and holy cow, I love it. From just thoughts about getting up and doing it, to laughing over puke in an airport with kids in tow, this book is a joy--a thought provoking, life-inspiring joy, and I cannot wait to read it again in 5 years and learn a little more from it, once I have forgotten its words and only remember, deep down the effect that it had on my walk with Jesus, and with those that He loves.
November 22, 2013
Wilson's non-fiction work is few and far between, but it's worth the wait. He is insightful and ingenious, equal parts poetic and pointed. He is blunt but also meandering. In the end the effect on the reader is expand the mind and heart of a bigger view of God and His world.
June 30, 2018
Nathan nasceu para escrever e morrer. Leitura de tirar o fôlego.
September 15, 2018
This book is a favorite of mine (I try to read it every year). This time I listened the audio version and enjoyed it very much too.
May 4, 2024
Besides the Bible, this book might have the most impact on my worldview.
August 12, 2013
I only give five stars to books that I love enough to want to read again, and by the end of the second chapter I knew this would be one of those books. Wilson begins with the same familiar ingredients used by countless Christian motivational speakers -- "life is a story," "death is inevitable," "let's make the most of the time that God grants to us" -- but manages to whip them into something entirely unexpected and awe-inspiring. His writing is the sort that drains highlighters (or e-highlighters; I read it on an iPad): compelling, convicting, lyrical, beautiful, hilarious and filled with profound observations about God, mortality and grace. I'm deeply grateful for the book, and newly inspired to die living.
January 31, 2014
I swallowed this one whole. I raced to read it, then re-read and re-read it again. It's the kind of book you hide under a pile of grammar books so no one will steal it away. It's the kind of book that makes you snarl at Sister Dear when she asks if you are finished yet. ((So Sorry, Jesse)) It's the kind of book that keeps you up late, trying to remember everything your grandparents ever told you about their stories. It's the kind of book that puts you in awe of the Maker and MasterStoryteller- it's the best kind.
January 27, 2023
This is a great book. It made me laugh, it brought me to tears, and it left me with wide-eyed wonder at the beauty of God's world and God's storytelling.
N.D. Wilson is an insanely poetic writer. In this book there are a few places where I think he goes a little TOO poetic... but overall this is a really easy and convicting read. =)
N.D. Wilson is an insanely poetic writer. In this book there are a few places where I think he goes a little TOO poetic... but overall this is a really easy and convicting read. =)
February 4, 2025
Death by Living: Life Is Meant to Be Spent by N.D. Wilson was a book last year my wife tasked me with reading. I am normally reading lots of biblical and theological content so I didn’t know what to expect, but my goodness this book blew me away! The depth of wisdom hidden in simple stories told by N.D.’s own life, or the life’s of his family members was incredibly rich, at times I praised the Lord, and at other times I would get chills, etc. An explosion of thoughts and emotions all undergirded by the sweetness of life well spent, under the kind providential hand of a good Heavenly Father. I highly recommend it.
July 21, 2022
"Posso dar meus dedos, minhas costas, minha mente, minhas palavras, meu fôlego, para minha esposa, meus filhos e meus próximos ou eu posso correr atrás do vapor e da vaidade, arrastar meus pés, com medo de morrer e, portanto, com medo de viver. E, como Adão, eu ainda morrerei no final."
"Morrer de tanto viver" e "Notas da xícara maluca" são experiências de leitura muito difíceis de resumir em um texto de opinião. N. D. Wilson é poético e ao mesmo tempo teológico. Espetacular!
"Morrer de tanto viver" e "Notas da xícara maluca" são experiências de leitura muito difíceis de resumir em um texto de opinião. N. D. Wilson é poético e ao mesmo tempo teológico. Espetacular!
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