“You’re not tolerant,” says this Christian philosopher, “if you're indifferent. You're tolerant if you disapprove of the other person's religion but put up with it nonetheless."

The much-praised French film "Of Gods and Men" dramatizes the essence of universal Christian love, according to the author of the book on which the movie is based.

"My lifelong belief is that love and death interwoven are the heartstrings of religion. The greatest of all truths is that love never dies. The opposite of love is not death. It is fear."

One of the beautiful things about a terminal illness is you are invited into the present, and your friendships become stronger. Your loved ones become more vital and more present. Each day becomes more beautiful. You walk through the valley of the shadow, and it’s riddled with light.