“The issue that has brought me the most grief” during the pandemic, said Rick, “as I have watched the politicization of the church [is that] I’ve watched where political zeal has replaced spiritual passion in the lives of many Christians. That’s tragic.”
Kay pointed out the importance of acknowledging and moving through grief instead of suppressing it. “If you really engage in reality,” she said, “you’re going to run smack dab into grief, the kind of grief that feels like it can take you to the floor. So that’s where we’re tempted to to stuff our feelings instead of share them, because most of us are very uncomfortable with grief.”
Instead, said Rick, we should recognize that God himself feels emotion. Because God experiences various emotions, we can feel free to express emotion as well since we are made in his image. How we respond to grief can actually have an impact on our physical bodies, so it is important that we deal with grief in a healthy way, including by encouraging others who are hurting.
Another practical tip Kay mentioned in relation to grief is: “Seek advice before you make major decisions…just know that everybody is having a little bit of a hard time making their best decisions. So check in with others first.”
If we are willing, a season of grieving can also be a season of growing, said Rick. “I’ll just say, personally, I’ve learned nothing from success in my life. Everything I’ve learned in life, I’ve learned through pain. And so that pain involves grief. I am the man that I am today because of what we’ve learned about grief, not what we’ve learned about fame or what we’ve learned about success.”
