Grief

When Frodo and Sam left the safety of The Shire, their perilous mission was to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mt. Doom located in the dark and deadly land of Mordor. Throughout their journey they battled sinister and terrifying enemies…and suffered the loss of several close friends along the way. But their resolve eventually brought them to Mt. Doom, and after a climactic fight with the treacherous Gollum, the ring was finally swallowed up by the heaving volcano. Middle Earth was safe…but the two tiny heroes weren’t!

In the violent world of African war where thousands of people shot bullets, South African photojournalist Kevin Carter shot film. The dangerous vocation of wartime photography put him in life-and-death situations on a daily basis…and eventually, it took its toll.

But Carter wasn’t killed in war. He took his own life…even after winning a Pulitzer Prize for one of his photos.

It’s the phone call no parent wants to receive. Ever. But on Thursday, February 28, 1991, Cecil and Ruth were both informed that their son, PFC. Clayton Carpenter, was killed in action in the Persian Gulf War. In an instant, their lives were changed.

Until the phone rang again.

Crows. Elephants. Bonobos. Chimpanzees. They all have something in common with humans besides a Creator. For quite some time, researchers and scientists have observed these species (and many others) exhibiting symptoms of grief.

But thanks to God, that’s where our commonality ends.

For three days in 1871, a fire raged through the great city of Chicago and turned large parts of the metropolis into ruble and ash. The destruction was tremendous; 300 lost their lives, 100,000 lost their homes, and Horatio Spafford, a wealthy attorney who had invested heavily into real estate, lost his fortune.

But the loss of his wealth paled in comparison to what he would lose soon thereafter.

Overcoming sin is never an easy task. But overcoming public sin is even more strenuous…especially if you profess to a Christ-follower. By God’s grace, some are able to move beyond their shortcomings. But for others, their sin leads to their downfall.

For Matthew Jarrell, his sin led all the way to his death.