loss of spirit

"We exacerbate our suffering needlessly when we allow one loss to lead to another. That causes gradual destruction of the soul. This destruction of the soul represents the "second death", and it can be a worse tragedy than the first. The death that comes through the loss of spouse, children, parents, health, job , marriage, childhood or any other kind is not the worst kind of death there is. Worse still is the death of the spirit, the death that comes through guilt, regret, bitterness, hatred, immorality and despair. The first kind of death happens TO us; the second kind of death happens IN us. It is a death we bring upon ourselves if we refuse to be transformed by the first death."


A Grace Disguised: How the soul grows through loss
Gerald Sittser