This is my last post of this series and summarizes a missional Christian response to death and tragedy.
As I was searching for articles on tragic death, I discovered that there was not a short supply. However, what overwhelmed me was the fact that tragic deaths take place every moment of the day and all over the world, but not every tragic death gets recorded in a news medium. This is a personally painful topic for my family and I, but it is also as painful for millions of others who are dealing through a tragic death.
Christians are notorious for offering “packaged” and over simplistic phrases of comfort to others grieving through a loss – many reflect on the trite phrases that Job’s friends offered to him, in the Book of Job, as he grieved the loss of his family. Since death is something that shakes our entire reality, what ought the Christian response to death be? After all, regardless of one’s faith journey, we are all seeking to find meaning, comfort, and healing in light of these senseless tragic deaths.
So what ought the church’s missional response be to tragic deaths? For it’s congregants and the wider community?
Well, for starters, I believe that the church needs to offer two types of grieving discussion groups. One of the grieving discussion groups should be for Christians and the other group should be designed for individuals who hold non-Christian worldviews. By offering both groups, the church can effectively meet a need that people are longing to have met, while also being able to customize the discussions and time together in a way that will lead both Christians and non-Christians to a meeting with Jesus Christ, our Healer. For the Christian group, there can be a unique emphasis on prayer and the Scripture, both of which would not appear in the non-Christian group. Through being a part of these discussion groups, non-Christians may be able to move closer to Christ through particular discussions, or possibly through developing relationships with Christians who are a part of that non-Christian discussion group.
By no means is this a bait and switch thing for those that hold non-Christian worldviews. Rather, it’s an opportunity for non-Christians to experience the hope that we have genuinely experienced in and through Christ. It’s an introduction to what could be, and never a forceful feeding of what we think they should be. After all, faith is something that we all have to individually own – it should never be forced upon anyone.
Logistically, the non-Christian group should happen in the community, rather than at a church, but the facilitator or counselor should be a Christian so that he/she can be praying for the discussion group members. This can also be a great opportunity to train individuals in counseling and grief care by being a part of these discussion groups.
Consequently, tragic death is a common occurrence in every society and culture throughout the world, and it is the church’s responsibility to offer a space for healing and an opportunity for all people to experience the healing power of Jesus Christ.