Grief in the Church

From 2020, it has been an uphill journey for us all. We have been moving from one lockdown to another, with breaks few and far between. In that time, the sense of community and the availability of interaction has been greatly limited; with working from home to online services, we have incorporated this new lifestyle, and it has, for many people, become the norm. However, now that more and more aspects of life are opening up, we find ourselves in the unique position of reintegrating into what used to be everyday interactions. With this reintroduction comes our own experiences and hardships of the past few years, as well as the hardships of the people we interact with. This brings us to the harsh reality of change; we may find that many people are left with a hole in their lives associated with loss. This may be the loss of a job, a home, and possibly even that of a loved one. COVID-19, among other things, has brought about devastating change to many, with many casualties up until this point, and the lives of many changed drastically. The reintroduction into social gatherings where their loved ones would have been present would be met with confusion, followed closely by the realisation that they are no longer there. The question then comes in, how do we, as Christians, tackle such interactions? And how does the church equip us with the tools to deal with these situations?