The Healing Journey

“Though we are definitely right to grieve, Saint Paul says we must grieve with hope. As we have seen, to suppress grief and outrage at death is not only bad for us psychologically, it’s actually bad for our humanity. Yet anger can dehumanize us, too, making us bitter and hard. Which means that we cannot only “rage against the dying of the light.” We also need a hope that influences how we grieve…. Neither stifling grief nor giving way to despair is right. Neither repressed anger nor unchecked rage is good for your soul. But pressing hope into your grief makes you wise, compassionate, humble, and tenderhearted.”

— Rev. Timothy Keller from “On Death,” based on a sermon he preached at the funeral of his sister-in-law Terry Hall, who died on Christmas Day 2017.

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