The grief journey
By David Flagg:
“The trouble is my friends at church think I should be over it by now” “I feel I should be able to cope” “If only my faith were stronger I wouldn’t still be like this”
It is heartfelt comments like the above that have convinced me over some years that Christians need educating about a natural and God-given process called grief. A survey of clergy (who deal regularly in this field) revealed an appalling ignorance of the bereavement process. What we need, therefore, is a more informed awareness and a greater acceptance of the grief journey. If it is natural and God-given then we cannot expect as Christians to be exempt from it. Indeed as Christians sensitive to the Holy Spirit and in touch with our God-given feelings, we shall often find ourselves more likely to experience grief or sorrow patterns…
Editor’s note
David Flagg is an Anglican priest who in semi-retirement continues his work in pastoral supervision and spiritual accompaniment, and enjoys teaching out of his varied experiences. He trained for the ordained ministry at St John’s Nottingham where he was taught and supervised by Dr Frank Lake, which remains a formative experience. He worked in parishes for 14 years, but has served more time in healthcare settings, notable Burrswood, Mildmay Hospital, and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich.