Love and death

I don't know whether it's coincidence or heightened awareness, but a rash of prominent people seem to have fallen victim to pancreatic cancer recently.

Today long-time New York Times columnist William Safire's death at 79 from the disease was reported, following about a week the death from the same cause of Myles Brand, 67, the former NCAA and Indiana University president famous for firing obnoxious basketball coach Bobby Knight.

And of course Patrick Swayze of "Dirty Dancing'' fame succumbed not long ago as well to the same disease at age 59.

But maybe the most significant recent passing was that of Forrest Church, a famous Manhattan Unitarian minister, who died of cancer of the esophagus.

His death may be the more significant to me because he just recently published a book about his impending demise called "Love and Death.'' His obit in the Times quoted him as saying recently that he "looks back with no regrets, and forward with no fear.''

Quite a statement from somebody in his health and position, who by the way also scandalized some members of his congregation earlier in this decade by having an affair with one of the members.

But just having picked up the book, I have already come across some memorable lines.

"Religion is our human response to the dual reality of being alive and having to die,'' he says.

"The one thing that can't be taken away from us, even by death, is the love we give away before we go,'' he says at another point.

Sounds even better than the latest Dan Brown novel.