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Be Not Afraid ForewordFOREwORDBy MADElEINE l’ENGlEOne evening while my children were doing homework,I was sitting at my desk writing, when one of ourneighbors, a young man in high school, came indemanding, “Madeleine, are you afraid of death?”Barely turning, I answered, “Yes, Bob, of course.” Heplunked himself down on a chair. “Thank God. Nobodyelse will dare to admit it.”Death is change, and change is always fearful aswell as challenging, but until we can admit the fear,we cannot accept the challenge. Until we can admit thefear, we cannot know the assurance, deep down in ourhearts, that indeed, we are not afraid.Be Not Afraid is a wonderful book about the kindof fearlessness of death that comes despite the normalfears we have, no matter how deep our faith. Indeed, itis only deep faith that can admit fear, and then move onto the understanding that God can work through ourtragedies as well as our joys; that even when accidentsand illness let us down, God never lets us down.vii