Episode 82 - Grief during the pandemic

Grief is the sense of loss we can feel at different times in our lives over various matters, but more intensively with the loss of a loved one.

Faith can help us cope with grief, however, it never eliminates it because grief is a product of love. John 11 illustrates this in the account of Lazarus’ death. Jesus, as true Man, wept over his death. That momentary separation caused Him pain, even though He knew He had the power to bring Lazarus back to life.

As human beings, we experience emotions deeply. Thus, when someone passes away, a funeral or a memorial service can help with the grieving process and give us closure. However, in the current circumstances, those services cannot happen in the customary ways. 

As a way to adapt, some could opt to have a restricted funeral, while others might prefer to wait until regular services resume. The uncertainty of when this might happen can cause various spiritual concerns.

In a funeral service, the body is returned to the earth and the soul is commended into the care of Christ – these words give us comfort as we are assured that the soul is in the hands of God. However, it is important to understand that the almighty God has already acted in the moment of death where the soul and spirit are taken into the realm in which they need to be, according to His will. The soul is not in limbo until we get around to having a funeral service. God acts because He cares for and loves all souls. He understands our grief and wants to comfort us.