John 14:26 New International Version (NIV)
26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Our family ventured out to the Hopkins movie theater to watch the recently released movie, X-men. For those who do not know it is a movie about mutants who all have a gene mutation that results in each of them possessing some superpower that most do not have. It is a movie that reflects on how society treats it's undesirables by forcing them to take undesirable jobs that no one else wants because they do not have the same opportunities for educational success.
For many of us who have traveled the road of grief it is easy to feel like a mutant. For those of us who have experienced the misfortune of losing a child life suddenly loses vitality as isolation begins to sweep in. Whereas your phone constantly rang off the hook before the loss, the phone often stays silent when friends who normally would call do not know how to respond to such a tragedy.
When a grieving person goes into a grocery store and a friend sees them it is very common for that friend to avoid them by taking a different route simply because they do not know how to greet the person in grief. Grieving people are not fun people to hang with and their social calendars remain empty with the exception of obligatory appointments and weekly meetings.
People in deep forlorn sorrow often maintain a sad outward expression that often contributes to their isolation. Like the mutants in X-Men we need the rest of society to understand that while we may seem different from most we are still humans and crave the human interaction as the rest.
As Christians, we are called to walk with those in sorrow. We are required to walk along side those who are different from them. Life doesn't mean always being in the carnival of life. Sometimes we are called to do difficult things like hanging with those who grieve.
This is the thing that sets Christianity apart from the other religions of the world. Whereas Yoga encourages people to put themselves into a self filled stress free state and to avoid those situations that bring up stress, Christianity by the example of our Savior, Jesus Christ, encourages us to carry the cross with those going through difficult times.
Whereas each of the mutants in the movie posses some super natural strength, those of us in Christ possess the Holy Spirit that gives us the ability to respond to grief in ways we never thought we could. God gives us the means to respond to those in distress.
There is good news to those who have experienced the loss of a child. You were awesome parents and no you are not to blame for this loss. We simply live in a fallen world where bad things do happen. Whereas the child you once had is immediately comforted by Jesus Christ and His angels in Heaven this same Jesus is standing at your side weeping with you over your misfortune. As he walks with you through the weeks, months and years of seeming isolation he will bring people into your lives to minister and rebuild you.
When you finally come out of this long period of loneliness God will give you a supernatural talent, like the mutants in X-Men to help others just entering theirown grief.
God hasn't abandoned you and the best thing we can do is to lean into our grief and trust God that he knows what he is doing with us.
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