What answer would you give?
When news first reached her, she went to the scene of the accident. She did not cry as she viewed the wreckage, only asked questions, later made arrangements for the funeral and contacted friends and relatives. At the wake she shared details of her son last texts with family friends who gathered explained details of what happened as if she was searching for an answer to the reason why.
Their friends and family came to console, but his wife was not crying, only searching for an answer they could not give her. They listened concernedly as she outlined what happened and worried. She was in control but obviously still in shock wanting to know the reason of what happened and why? Everyone recognized she was grief stricken and wanted to help console her.
“We needed her to cry…We didn’t understand what was keeping her together.”
King Solomon
Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.
Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. (Chapter 12:12)
These words were written in the conclusion in King Solomon’s Ecclesiastes. In his lifetime, he had foolishly believed he was wise enough to discover and understand all the mysteries about the world God created. He finally came to the conclusion that no humankind was capable of understanding what only God knows and decides.
This verse was his prediction that there would be others that would come after him who will write books of their opinions and/or philosophy. Solomon warned to study all the books would serve only to weary a person. His reason was that all the books to be written by mankind expressing their opinions and reasoning of why this or that, would never provide an answer or reason to what only God knows and decided.
For example, why good people become victims of evil persons or their acts. Why some people are more gifted, more rich, or more beautiful, handsome, successful, live longer than others etc. etc.
What is My Point?
Many have read or studied numerous mankind philosophical reasoning and answers. None of the writings could serve to answer why this son died. Many may die because of foolish choices or risks they take in life. Death could result from natural causes of health, accidents, violence, nature, wars or chance. The time or reason why, may never to be known or understood by anyone.
In time everyone will die and when that happens, people of faith will grieve, and hopefully their faith will help them to endure and accept death as being the only thing know for certain of the reason why they were given the gift of life by God.
What Did the Father Eulogize?
He began with a statement it should be his son standing and giving the eulogy for him rather than him. He brought up that his son was a good, smart, compassionate, and loving son. In school he was on the baseball team and played center field and was very good. The father then brought up chance. If his car had veered off only one second more, it would have not have hit a tree and instead rolled into open field.
His words were his personal thoughts and remembrance of his son, but not an answer to the tragedy and grief he and his wife were suffering. What words could possibly answer the reason for his son’s death? He was searching for a spiritual answer to comfort himself and his wife through their nightmare and the worse fear or of every parent.
What Reason Did the Father Finally Decide?
His voice crackling, was this. “Because God decided heaven needed a center fielder.”
When his wife heard that, she finally broke down and cried.
In My Opinion
King Solomon, the wisest man in the world, after spending a lifetime searching for wisdom could not give any better reason or statement of faith.
Regards and goodwill blogging.
Source Writer of Chicago Tribune Article
Katy Okrent lives in Evanston, Illinois
(Original Post 6/16/2016)
(Original Post 6/16/2016)
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