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Question 19.

My question to you father is this. We lost my nephew 7 years ago and have been told by so many people that it's bad that we cry at his grave that we are not allowing him to rest because we still mourn him. Can you explain this to me please what is it about tears that don't allow our loved ones to rest and move on to another dimension???        

 

Answer to Question 19.

 

I think people have a misunderstanding about mourning.  The resurrection of our Lord gives us the hope that when we die we pass over to eternity and as Christians we believe that we will be with Christ in the afterlife and at the general resurrection at his Second Coming. Thus if we truly believe then we shouldn’t mourn for people when they depart this life, but should rejoice for them that they are with Christ.  But we are only human and it is only natural to miss our loved one when they are no longer with us. Christ also cried at Lazarus’ death. There is nothing wrong with mourning and crying for people as long as that mourning is because we miss that person and not because of lack of faith that that person is lost to us forever. One aspect of the memorial services that we have for the departed is exactly this that we remember them and pray for them. Don’t listen to such silly thoughts that our tears prevent the departed from moving on. Souls move to where God have assigned them a place and are not trapped somewhere in-between, and especially not because of our tears.  May God give rest to your nephew in a place of light, in a place of green pasture, in a place of refreshment, from whence pain, sorrow and mourning have fled away.