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Aug 7, 2013

"The world is fed by our willingness to weep for the impossibility of being human. And the irony is, weeping for the impossibility of being human is human." --Stephen Jenkinson

Stephen Jenkinson on The Meaning of Death

At the Orphan Wisdom School, the cold northern winds gently blow through towering pine trees and the trickle of icy water can be heard streaming through the hinterland. It is in this peaceful, wintery space that Stephen Jenkinson helps others learn the skills of deep living and making human culture. What is the meaning of death? What is depression? How can repay the debt of being human? These are some of the questions that arise at the Orphan Wisdom School. In this article, Ian MacDonald shares stories from a night with Jenkinson, Much of Jenkinson's wisdom draws from the dying. As someone who headed the counselling team of Canada's largest home-based palliative care program for five years, Jenkinson says, "Life does not give life. It's the end of life that gives life a chance. The world whispers, 'all that we need of you is that you be human.'"