Community of Grief

I opened the newspaper today and to my horror saw a sight all too familiar to me. Five young men involved in a car accident, that lead to three deaths and two serious injuries. Although i didn't know anyone in the accident, the scene reminds me of an all too familiar 'disease' at Immanuel. In the last five years, we have lost more than five young men to death. Some tragic in nature, others very natural, but all horrifying. As i was reading this article, one line stuck out to me. It seems to be the line that is written after every tragedy involving young people: "Grief counselors were called to the school." I guess this morning it made me appreciate the community that i live in and am involved in. I know that during each one of our deaths, grief counselors were probably called into the schools. But as i reflect at the days surrounding each of the deaths, i cannot recall ever seeing one. You see, i have this community that grieved with me. As youth and now young adults, we supported one another through each of these deaths. In fact, i distinctly remember being offered a counselor by one of the teachers after Kirk died, but refusing because i had my friends to support me. As i reflect and appreciate my community, I am also very saddened. Not because this community is currently struggling with making people feel welcome. But with the fact that not everybody has these types of community. Could you imagine going through those deaths without all those people to hug you, cry with you, pray with you and just encourage you in the healing months later? There is something glorious about Christians grieving together. Perhaps its the promise that our grief will turn to joy, or maybe just the principle of mourning together that makes God rejoice. I must admit that there is something very redeeming about grieving together. It doesn't make the tragedy any less, but it does give me hope. Pastor Bill was talking this sunday about remembering the future. In essence, he was talking about the future hope that we have to look forward to. There will be a day when there will be no more mourning or crying or death. That is our hope. That is what i look forward to. A day with no more death. But until then, i hold onto my community of grief, my God of comfort and the future hope that one day, death will be no more.