What I wrote is certainly not what one tells someone who is grieving. However,
it is the thing we have to understand so that when we grief ourselves our
faith will be a virtue and carry us through those times. I lost almost my
entire family in the Genocide perpetrated on the Armenians by the Ottoman
Turks. I do not understand that either. But what is our suffering compared to
the suffering of Christ on the cross for us all. How does the Father feel
about His Son? Can our suffering top that? Moorad
>===== Original Message From John W Burgeson <burgytwo@juno.com> =====
>Moorad posted: "It seems to me that our understanding of human suffering
>must be viewed in light of the promises made in Scripture regarding
>eternal life. We live in a particular moment in the history of the world
>and our lifetimes are a pittance in comparison to eternity. The history
>of the world is like a book and we are living in the early chapters and
>only know the ending by revealed truth. Faith is the basis of our
>understanding of the evil in the world with death as the apex that Christ
>conquered on the cross."
>
>All that is true. All that is also platitudes. Try telling that to a
>survivor of the 1755 earthquake who had her whole family wiped out but
>lived because she stayed home from church that day.
>
>The event itself remains as one of the strongest arguments in favor of
>the position of Dawkins & Sagan.
>
>As a Stephen Minister, I "get to" talk with people who have had this kind
>of event happen in their lives. I know what to say -- what NOT to say
>(more important) -- speaking the very true words you posted above is
>close to the worst thing to say at grief time, BTW. I know how to listen
>-- how to grieve with them. I am well aware there is "no answer."
>
>Let me illustrate this by a poster I made for our Stephen ministry
>training course last fall:
>
>----------------------------------------------------
>I was sitting, torn by grief.
>Someone came and talked to me of God's dealings,
>of why it happened,
>of hope beyond the grave.
>
>He talked constantly.
>
>He said things I knew were true.
>
>I was unmoved,
>except to wish he'd go away. He finally did.
>
>
>Another came and sat beside me.
>He didn't talk. He didn't ask me leading questions.
>He just sat beside me for an hour or more,
>listened when I said something,
>answered briefly,
>prayed simply,
>left.
>
>I was moved, I was comforted.
>I hated to see him go.
>---------------------------------------------------
>Burgy (John Burgeson)
>
>www.burgy.50megs.com
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