Stupid Grief?

One of the things I read this morning was written by a preacher from a past generation, who wrote, "How stupid is grief."  He then went on to explain how grief is so misplaced in the life of a Christian as we know that our loved ones will be raised and that we will win the victory.  I had to agree that grief seems foolish on the surface, but I could not disagree more as I drill down into the meaning and worth of a grieving heart for a true loss, however temporary it may be.

To begin with, let me set forth the Gold Standard for whether grief is acceptable Christian behavior or not: Jesus Christ.  When he came to the tomb of his friend Lazarus and saw all his friends and family weeping in their grief, knowing he was about to raise him from the dead - WDJD (my new acronym, What Did Jesus Do)?  Did he tell everyone to cheer up and stop their foolish displays of grief?  Did he tell them how stupid it was in light of the fact that resurrection was near for Lazarus?  No, instead, looking around, being filled with compassion for them, "Jesus wept" (Jn 11:35).

Not only do we have the Gold Standard of Jesus supporting the grief of others with his tears, we have His Holy Spirit, through the apostle Paul, directing us to do the same: "Mourn with those who mourn" (Rom 12:14).  Grieving, far from being labeled "Stupid," is shown to be a holy pursuit to be encouraged and shared in times of true loss.

Grief is not an indication of a lack of faith, as some suppose, rather it is a reflection of the depth of one's love and a testimony to the degree of loss one feels.  When C.S. Lewis lost his precious wife Joy, he grieved saying that the depth of his loss was a direct reflexion of the depth of the love he was allowed to share. He said he could not hurt so much had he not loved so much.  While he had every hope of seeing her again in heaven, he knew he would finish his journey on earth without her, his loss was temporary as was his grief.  But it was acute equal to his loss.

Loss of a loved one in Christ is temporary and their death means their ultimate gain in glory - so why the grieving?  Because our loss is as real and as long as the rest of our lives.  If your child is accepted at a renown university and given a full scholarship, isn't that something to rejoice about?  Then why do parent weep so as they take their son or daughter to the airport?  Don't they know they will see their child again?  Don't they know that such an education will ensure a bright future?  Yes, but they also know that life as they've experienced it to date is changed forever.  Despite knowing what a blessing this is for their child, they feel a heaviness in their hearts that can only be worked out through active grieving.

Stupid grief?  Not!  Sacred grief!  Yes!  Jus' Say'n.