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by | April 14, 2025 · 6:40 am

A Time to Grieve

Sometimes weeping is exactly what we most need to do. (A Biblical Reflection for Holy Week)

The Pieta in a frieze depicting Mary’s grief (In the choir, Chartres Cathedral, France)

In the biblical book of Ecclesiastes, the preacher writes: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die… a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance…” (3:1,4).

So, what time is it? What time is it for those living in places like Myanmar, Eastern Congo, Ukraine, Gaza, and many other places around the world, for those whose lives are consumed by unimaginable hardship, violence, and loss due to war, earthquakes, famines and other apocalyptic like disasters? What time is it in America? What time is it for you?

For me, there is not one simple answer. On one hand, the problems and suffering of the world call me to take my responsibility as a global citizen all the more seriously, to look for more ways to support my brothers and sisters in Christ around the world, to speak out against injustice at home and abroad, to protect the vulnerable and abused, to share the Gospel with those who do not know the hope that comes through Jesus, and to link arms with others who are trying to exhibit the love of Christ in concrete ways to those in need.

At yet, sometimes it all feels like too much. Sometimes weeping is exactly what I most need to do. And it’s not just me. One of my closest colleagues in Myanmar, who does more than anyone I know to help others in need, wrote to me after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake and admitted, “Sometimes I feel very depressed.” Another colleague from Ukraine confided to me, “I am war fatigued, to say the least.” At such times, as much as I would like to bury my painful feelings, run away, or just collapse in weariness, what I usually need most is to stop trying to help anyone else for a moment and take some time to grieve.

  • By grieving, I release the tremendous pain I feel before it explodes inside me or utterly depresses me.
  • By grieving, I can feel and not forget how much I loved whomever or whatever I lost.
  • By grieving, I can rage against the powers of death and destruction, refusing to be defeated by evil.
  • By grieving, I feel the depth of my frustration and tap into my determination to live.   
  • By grieving, I admit to myself, “So much is out of my control. There’s so much I would like to have been able to do but couldn’t.”
  • By grieving, I give up expecting unrealistic miracles. Instead, I reach the end of myself and reach out to God and others for the comfort and strength I need.

On Good Friday, Christians remember the awful day when evil forces conspired to kill Jesus. In the photo you see, Mary, the mother of Jesus, is depicted with her hands outstretched, her face contorted with grief, and her eyes turned heavenward. Her beloved son, Jesus, had just been brutally nailed to a cross, executed for daring to challenge the religious authorities, who were blind to God’s working through his life and indifferent to the needs of the poor, needy, and vulnerable.

In her moment of unimaginable pain, with Jesus’s lifeless body draped over her knee, Mary could only see and feel her great loss. She didn’t know that resurrection was coming. Even if she had all the faith in the world, the horror of it all remains. What must it have been like for Jesus’s poor mother? What is it like for those burying their dead in Mandalay, in bombed out villages, in IDP camps? For those who are still searching for lost ones, who have disappeared or are presumed dead under the rubble of fallen buildings?

I only imagine how great their grief must be. But I do know this. For those who turn to God amid their pain and loss, and for those who put their faith in Jesus Christ, they do not “grieve… as those who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13). Why not? Because through a relationship with Jesus Christ, we do have hope. Hope that we are not alone or abandoned by our Creator. Hope for life after death—not just a reincarnation into another life of suffering, but eternal life with new bodies, hearts, and minds, re-created to live in fellowship with God forever. This promise is for all those who know and love their Creator and who put their faith Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. It’s by Christ’s sacrificial death that we are forgiven. It’s by the Holy Spirit that our hearts and minds are renewed. And it’s by believing that we are saved (Romans 8:1-6; 10:9-10).

That’s the hope we as Christians live by. But for this holy week, we must pass through Good Friday first. The night is so very dark, and our tears flow. It’s a time to grieve.

With the love of Jesus Christ,

Dr. Tim

Next time, I will write about “The Journey to Joy”.

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by | August 30, 2024 · 4:52 pm

When They Die Too Soon

A Biblical Reflection on Handling the Premature Death of a Loved One

Monument in the Mae La Refugee camp, near the Myanmar-Thai border, in Thailand

“When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again….” (Acts 20:36-38, NIV)

Recently, another one of my former students from Myanmar was tragically killed. Not yet 25 years old, La Seng sacrificed his life for something he believed in. He died a hero and inspiration to many. One of his closest friends, in mourning his death, told me that La Seng was a symbol of love and integrity. He showed by his life—and by his willingness to risk death—what it means to live by his faith and put love into action.

Yet, his death was deeply disturbing, too. He was way too young, and the hole he left was big. Those who knew and loved him feel devastated. To me, he was like a spiritual son. God had used our special connection to guide and encourage him at a critical point in his life. He had found peace in the direction he chose. Alongside his willingness to serve his country, he led a ministry to children and became known among his classmates and friends as someone who was exceptional conduit of God’s love and grace.

What good could possibly come out this loss and so many others like it? How are we supposed to handle it when someone like this dies too soon and leaves such a big void in our lives?

In Acts 20, the Apostle Paul doesn’t answer this question directly, but his farewell speech to the elders of the church in Ephesus (in modern day Turkey) offers many helpful insights. He called the elders to meet with him one last time on a beach a several days journey from their home. He knew that he would be arrested, abused, and unjustly killed at some point in the future, and he wanted to prepare them and say goodbye. Knowing that their hearts would be broken, he prayed for them and urged them to remember their experience with him, to live by what he taught them about Jesus, and to follow the example that he had set for them.

At one point he said, “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Then later he added, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:32, 35)

The lesson from Paul’s words and example is profound. In your times of great loss and suffering, you are not alone. You are not without hope. All is not lost. Your painful experiences and heart-breaking losses don’t have to break or defeat you. God still has a purpose for your life. And Jesus shows you the way.

The death of those who die too soon may feel like a waste, but their death need not be wasted. When you lose people whom you’ve admired, respected, or loved, all that they gave to you is still within you. Nothing can remove the sting of their death, and your grief may linger for years. Yet, the memory of them can remain a source of inspiration and strength for the rest of your life. And God’s “word of grace” can minister to your broken heart and nourish and feed your soul.

You can move beyond focusing so much on the pain of your loss and turn your attention to those who are still living, those you who need from you what God has equipped you to offer. And, by God’s grace, the road filled with too many early deaths can become a pathway overflowing with life.

“And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10, NRSV).

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by | October 25, 2021 · 6:20 am

Hope for Hopeless Times

Are you the victim of mistreatment and unjust oppression? Are you feeling hopeless? Are you wondering why God is allowing you to suffer so unfairly?

In this 29 minute presentation, in English with Burmese subtitles and photos from the present Myanmar context, I address the following four questions.

1. “Why us?”

2. “Why is God so silent?”

3. “Where can we find God?”

4. “What hope is there?”

When we suffer unjustly, we all want deliverance from our suffering. But when God does not spare us, we often want answers to questions like these. Now, some of these questions cannot be fully answered, given our limited ability to understand the will and ways of God. However, at the same time, the Bible has a lot to say about each one, and the experience of millions of followers of Christ shows that there truly is hope for those who live in seemingly hopeless circumstances. The key is to understand what kind of hope is available to us when there seems no way to stop those who are mistreating us or to escape our painful situation.

Coping with oppression and trauma is complicated and often requires therapy, pastoral counseling, and/or a lot of help from others. In this video, I do not try to address all of these issues comprehensively, but rather focus on the great spiritual resources that believers have in Jesus Christ and in the ongoing presence and power of the Holy Spirit. The more you learn how to draw on the Spirit’s support and encouragement, they more you will experience inner peace, inspiration, and hope to enable you to face whatever you must face in this life with greater strength and hope. Never do I suggest that suffering from mistreatment or oppression is easy, but I do know how much help comes from leaning on the Lord Jesus Christ at such times.

The original context for this video was a special talk for faculty and theological students at the Myanmar Institute of Theology, in Yangon, Myanmar. I welcome your comments and questions, as this is a topic for ongoing reflection, prayer, and discussion for the people in Myanmar and for all those who suffer unjustly.

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by | April 27, 2020 · 5:32 pm

What Can We Expect from God Now? (Essay 4 of 7)

Truth 4: Expect to share in Christ’s sufferings. Expect to share in his glory

In many places around the world, Christians suffer for their faith. It comes in many different forms, from mild to intense, from subtle to overt. Christians are routinely subjected to rejection and marginalization in social settings. Sometimes, they are also victims of more serious attacks, such as false accusations, hatred, opposition, physical abuse, and are sometimes even killed. No one wants to suffer like this, but, at the same time, sharing in the sufferings of Christ has been considered a privilege by Christians in every generation. It’s also expected.

The good news is that sharing in Christ’s sufferings is also the pathway to our glory one day.

Spiritual Truth 4: Expect to share in the sufferings of Christ. Expect to share in his glory. (Romans 8:14-18, 29-30; Phil. 2:5-8; Luke 22:42-44; Heb. 5:7; 12:1-2)

Children of God share in Christ’s sufferings

We are never commanded to suffer or to share in Christ’s suffering in the Bible. Rather, the Apostle Paul talks about it more as an expected experience for those who faithfully follow Jesus. For example, in his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote:

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God…. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

(Romans 8:14, 17, NIV)

And, in his letter to the Philippians, Paul points to Jesus as our role-model. He writes:

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.

(Phil. 2:5-8, NRSV, emphasis added)

We are not supposed to seek suffering, but we are called to follow Jesus. With faithfulness to him will come suffering for us. Why? Because when we say yes to God, there’s often a cost. When we say no to temptation, we might have to live with unfulfilled desires or feel we are missing out on something we want to do or experience. When we choose holiness and godliness, we may be left without our crutches and the (false) comfort they bring. When we devote ourselves to serving Christ and the Gospel, we and our families often have to make sacrifices. When we hold firm to our faith in Christ among nonbelievers, we may have to endure their hostility, rejection, marginalization, or worse.

Jesus carrying his cross (Chartres Cathedral, France)

Jesus knew the costs of devotion to God’s will very well. So, he made it clear what the call to discipleship means:

If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.

(Luke 9:23-24, NRSV)

We can no longer follow Jesus on the road to Jerusalem, as his original disciples did; and none of us can die with him on the cross. Jesus was not asking for that. He was calling us to follow him on the path that leads to life. He was teaching us to relinquish our attachment to serving ourselves and living life in our own way, and instead put him at the center of our lives and devote ourselves to serving him and the Gospel, accepting that suffering will come with our calling. In this act of “losing” our life, we will save it.  

Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane (Chartres Cathedral, France)

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus famously prayed,

Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me, but not my will, but yours be done. An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly….

(Luke 22:42-44)

The writer to the Hebrews interprets the story this way:

Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

(Hebrews 5:7)

What does this mean? Since we know Jesus went right from the garden of Gethsemane to the cross, within a matter of hours, in what sense were Jesus’s prayers heard? He was not saved from death, at least not from the painful ordeal of the cross, prior to his resurrection. Jesus, the most faith-filled and faithful human being who ever lived, who was also the Son of God, was not spared from suffering and death, even though he poured out his requests for deliverance in prayer. Why not?

He was not spared, because it was not God’s will to deliver him. God chose the Son to die for the sake of saving the world. That was more important than sparing Jesus from suffering.

Jesus, in his obedience to the Father, accepted this fact. He submitted to the will of God. And, so, “he was heard” by God. In his hour of trial, he received from God what he needed to fulfill his calling. Jesus’s anguished prayer was not in vain. Though his prayer to be delivered from his suffering was not granted, he received strength to face his suffering.

We will share in his glory

When this life is over, and our all our suffering is finished, we will inherit the fullness of God’s salvation with Christ. All we see that we were indeed children of God, led by the Spirit of God. This will be our moment of glory.

As so Paul can say with confidence:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

(Romans 8:18, NIV)

We do not deserve this glory, nor can we glorify ourselves. Rather, our glory comes from God’s glory being revealed in us. By grace, the Father made us his children. He gave us the ability to put our faith in Jesus Christ. He enabled us to pick up our crosses daily. His Spirit taught us, empowered us, and led us. And by his grace, he enabled us to say, Yes to God, Yes to Jesus, and Yes to sharing in Christ’s suffering along the way. By God’s loving work in our lives, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all glorified, and so are we. Consequently, Paul could say:

For those whom [God] foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

(Romans 8:29-30)

Spiritual Application

In the west rose window of the Chartres Cathedral, we gaze upon Christ sitting on the judgment seat in heaven. What do we see? What does a glorified body look like? If we look carefully, we will see his nailed-pierced hands and gaping gash in his side, with blood flowing from all his wounds. In some way we cannot fully understand, Christ’s shed blood covers the sins of the world for those who put their faith in him. We deserve condemnation, but we will be forgiven. We expect punishment, but our Judge will greet us as a self-sacrificing Savior.

Look at the stained glass window, pictured above. Jesus’s palms are open, showing that he will be there in heaven to welcome you. His wounds reassure you that he has paid the price for your sins. You are beloved by the Father. You are being conformed to the image of his precious son, Jesus Christ. You are indeed a child of God, in whom the Holy Spirit is now working and will continue to lead, guide, comfort, and strengthen you throughout this life. Then, one day, when you arrive in heaven, you will share in Christ’s glory.

None of us wants to suffer for our faith. But if following Jesus faithfully means sharing in his sufferings, what will you choose? Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He’s your Lord and Savior. The writer to the Hebrews gives this fitting word of exhortation:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [the Old Testament heroes of the faith], let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and … run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

(Hebrews 12:1-2, NRSV, emphasis added)

May God give you the grace and strength you need today to face your fears and your suffering, to continue on the path of faith and faithfulness, and to fulfill God’s will for your life.

[To read this essay in Burmese and certain Chin dialects, go to “Resources in Burmese” in Faith, Hope, and Love Global Ministries’ Resource Library, or look for it on my Facebook page, later this week.]

This essay series was created in response to the 2020 COVID-19 global crisis. Each essay expands on the practical suggestions offered, “Trusting God,” chapter eight in The Spirit-Led Leader: Nine Leadership Practices and Soul Principles (Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2005), pages 184-190.

PHOTOS from Chartres Cathedral ©JILL K H GEOFFRION, HTTP://WWW.JILLGEOFFRION.COM

Copyright © 2020 Timothy C. Geoffrion, Wayzata, Minnesota. All rights reserved to the author, but readers may freely download, print, forward, or distribute to others, providing that this copyright notice is included.

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