On getting a life

I think I read this once upon a time. But SooT forwarded it to me today, from Bob Kee, and it was a good 'refresher'!

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/march/26.42.html

The Gospel of Mark is so graphic this way. The first half of the Gospel is Jesus showing people how to live. He's healing everybody. Then right in the middle, he shifts. He starts showing people how to die: "Now that you've got a life, I'm going to show you how to give it up." That's the whole spiritual life. It's learning how to die. And as you learn how to die, you start losing all your illusions, and you start being capable now of true intimacy and love.

--Eugene Peterson

As I read these words, I was reminded of Michael's famous words, "Get a life!"

Might it be that we are to get a life only to lose it; perhaps that we are to get a life in order that we may lose it?