Life & Death

Today in Religion & the Human Quest my professor handed out this poem:

Reflection on Death-

Nothing can make up for the absence of someone we love,

And it would be wrong to try to find a substitute.

We must simply hold out and see it through.

That sounds very hard at first,

but at the same time it is a great consolation.

For the gap, as long as it remains unfilled,

Preserves the bond between us.

It is nonsense to say God fills the gap.

God does not fill it,

But on the contrary keeps it empty

            and so helps us to keep alive

            our former communion with each other

            even at the cost of pain.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I don’t know about you, but this poem certainly hit home for me. It has been 6 years since I tragically lost my Grandpa and for so long I wondered why God did not fill the gaps in my suffering heart. Now, it is not like this poem answers all my questions or makes me miss my grandpa any less. Instead, this poem allows me to look at missing someone who can no longer be with me in a more comforting light. We have all lost someone we have loved so dearly and wish were still here. Try to always remember that you are not alone.  For me, I go to my mom and grandma when I am missing my grandpa and we just laugh and smile about old memories and how things used to be. The pain is hard but reach out to others because most likely they are feeling the emptiness also.