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This past month has been a time when a number of members of our congregation have entered seasons of grief. The losses have included some who died 'full of years' as the Bible would say, and two cases where the person who died was younger than I. Times of grief remind us that faith and church life are extremely important.
Ecclesiastics 7:2 says, "It is better to go to a house of mourning than a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart."
Our culture does its best to have us ignore the reality of death. We hide our seniors and those who are dying in hospitals and nursing homes. One exception is late October when death is celebrated as a joke during the Halloween season. Death is tied to entertainment in the movies and TV programs we watch. Even the evening news tells countless stories of those who die. In a culture with death all around, most Americans are poorly prepared for their own death or the grieving of one they love.
As I have prayed with and stood with some of you in your season of grief, there are a number of lessons that come to mind.
First, the way we live is displayed to all when we die. The life well lived, rooted in faith, that touched many, will be celebrated in death. A life given to sin and selfishness is mourned for not being all it could have been.
I have been to wakes and funerals where the sins of the one who died are referred to in humor. Tragically, ones anger, smoking, broken relationships, and other sins contribute to the event of the funeral. As much as we Christians are all a work in progress, sin looks ugly in the context of
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death.
God is for health. Death is easier and often delayed when we join God in making healthy choices. Taking care of our bodies, building healthy relationships, and living in the peace of God adds to quality of life and healthier grief. The Bible is a guide to healthier living as we get our relationship with God right first, and then live out our faith by making healthy choices.
In the month of November, America celebrates Thanksgiving Day. One lesson from grief is that we should be thankful for life itself and then the many blessings of God we enjoy. Living and breathing is a gift, not a guarantee. Health is a blessing from God as there are so many in our world who suffer. Often the pain of grief can lead us to gratitude for the major and minor joys in our lives.
A last lesson is that the central message of the Bible becomes all important in times of loss. That message is that Jesus left heaven to come to earth, live a sinless life and then die on the cross. On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead and conquered sin and death. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we his disciples will also one day rise to new life. Grief includes hope when the one who dies has put their faith in Jesus Christ.
My prayer is that God would continue to comfort each of us who is grieving the death of a loved one this year. May we also prepare for our own deaths, grow in faith, and do good to those God brings our way. Let us learn from our painful seasons of grief. God bless!
-Pastor Rick
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