Ministry in Moments of Crisis - Death

Death is terribly final. It crushes those who love the one who is dying and robs them of precious communication with the one they love. Back in November I was holding my mother-in-law’s hand as she labored for her final breaths. I felt her pulse ebb from regular and strong, to irregular, to faint and then to finally cease altogether. I watched as the finality of her passing brought on still another stage of grief for her husband, children, grandchildren and friends.

 

We who serve people in the world of sport are equally subject to Death and its crushing effects as anyone else. Most of the people with whom we work, however are often of the mind that they are bulletproof and never give a conscious thought to the inevitability of death and dying. In university settings we work with young people 17-22 years of age who feel like they’re invincible. Death seems even more remote than responsibility or the consequences of sin. Many are suddenly confronted with Death’s wicked cheap shots when a coach, teammate, parent or a sibling dies in a car crash, after suffering a heart attack, as the victim of violence or even due to suicide. Each brings its own special, rancid smell of pain and loss.

 

Just two days before my family’s loss this fall, our Head Baseball Coach died. He had battled a rare form of cancer for several years, but that horrible disease doesn’t play fair and it ultimately overtook him. To quote George Bernard Shaw, “Death is the ultimate statistic. One out of one dies.” I was privileged to spend some time with Coach Cal’s widow the day he died and to also break the news to his team in the locker room. Thirty young, strong, fit and seemingly death-proof men were suddenly thrust into the crucible of Death and its equally brutal twin, Grief. The coaching staff was overcome with emotion and felt ill equipped to handle the situation. I was glad to contribute to the process of grieving and healing for the team and the staff.

 

As we serve sportspeople, we may occasionally be called upon to assist in these matters. We would do well to prepare through reading the Scriptures and taking note of how our Lord handled grief, death and mourning. We would do well to read other books and journals for tips for helping people understand their feelings and the process they will encounter due to the loss of their friend, teammate or family member.

 

May I challenge you to walk confidently into these moments of grief? Let’s carry the same attitude as our Lord as we make our way to funeral wakes, to graveside services and to private meetings with grieving families. Let’s love as extravagantly as Jesus did at Lazarus’ grave and let’s carry hope and faith into often despair filled rooms.