A close friend recently asked me a heartfelt question about how Christian Scientists deal with grief after a loved one passes on. I replied and our conversation moved on to other things, but his question lingered with me. One answer that has helped me is a deep realization that our loved ones continue on in God’s love. In the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy explains that “God and the real man are inseparable as divine Principle and idea” (p. 476).
The temptation to fall into darkness and sadness is strong after a passing. There might even be a sense that the depth of our love for the departed is only demonstrated by sufficient suffering. Since the loss of a loved one can feel like a dramatic event, these responses are not unreasonable. The healing of grief is individual—different for each one. While I would never discount anyone’s personal process of grieving, there is an argument that can be made for not accepting a long, drawn-out grieving process—no matter how deep our devotion and love.
As we give up the belief of life in matter, we’ll see new expressions of life everywhere.
