A Litany to Death

Without the death of stars, there would be no planets and no life.
Without the death of creatures, there would be no evolution.
Without the death of cells in woody plants, there would be no trees.
Without the death of plants and animals, there would be no food.
Without the death of the old ways of thinking, there would be
no room for the new.

What, then, are the gifts of death?
The gifts of death are Mars, Mercury, Saturn, and Earth.
The gifts of death are the atoms of stardust in our bodies.
The gifts of death are woodlands and soils, ponds, and lakes.
The gifts of death are food: the sustenance of life.
The gifts of death are wisdom, creativity, and the flow of change.

(Written by Michael Dowd Thank God for Evolution, p.98-99)

I would add:

The gift of death is spiritual evolution: through dying one discovers rising.
The gift of death is dying to the old self to live as a new creation.
The gift of death is to end the endless cycles of doing things always the same.
The gift of death is breaking free from the dark powers and chains of this world.
The gift of death is to end suffering and pain.
The gift of death is to make way for new life.
The gift of death is Christ's blood and love covers a multitude of sins.