Suicide

February 26, 2011

Sr. Wantabee is back at the hospital again and busy. She met a little ole couple who processed with her the grief about the suicide of their beloved son not so long ago. The father shared that the Bible does not say anything about suicide and Sr. Wantabee had to reflect. Is that true?
Sr. Wantabee went to her concordance and suicide is indeed not listed as a specific word used in translation. But the reality of suicide is not denied. Saul fell on his sword. Elijah prayed that God would take his life. Judas hung himself. Stephen shared his faith knowing he would be killed. The fate of none of these men is talked about.
Saul did not want to be alive to see his body played with by the enemy. Women today after ravaged by the “enemy” will commit suicide rather than live with the shame and humiliation and memories of what the “conqueror” did or might do to them.
Elijah just ran out of steam. He had done the great miracle of Mt. Carmel, praying for fire on his offering, praying for rain, but in the face of the threat of Jezebel, he ran and caved in. How many of us “cave in” in the face of threats. God was there.
Judas could not live with the guilt of his actions. Different cultures have different names for the taking of a life in the face of failure. It is expected.
Stephen, the martyr for the good of the cause, is another very famous cultural theme. We honor our soldiers and policemen who put their lives on the line for our safety and for their belief in what they represent.
Suicide is indeed a complicated topic. I pray I am never guilty of judging another’s motives or diminishing the pain for their survivors who loved them.

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One of the Few

July 13, 2010

Sr. Wantabee was back at the hospital today. As she approached the first room she decided to first, she wondered what surprise awaited her. She tapped on the door and peeked in. The husband was sitting on a chair behind the door with his laptop open, typing, and the wife was lying in the bed appearing to be dozing. “Oh, she’s asleep. I’m the chaplain and my name is the same as hers except she has the shortened, fun version and I’ve never met one with her name before so just wanted to stop and say hello.” An eye peeked open and looked at Sr. Wantabee who apologized for disturbing her and introducing herself. The patient said, “I have a master’s in theology and am one of the six trained Biblical counselors in the world.” That was a conversation, jaw dropper.

It ended up that the husband was a professor at a local college preparing lectures for a group of students coming from the country where Sr. Wantabee once worked. The patient’s youngest daughter teaches at the school where the husband of the sister of Sr. Wantabee’s friend works. We figured we had almost crossed paths many times.

Sr. Wantabee had a delightful conversation and time of prayer with the couple but she left wondering how someone could feel they were one of six properly trained people “in the world.” That must be a tremendous sense of responsibility to feel so chosen. Or perhaps a tremendous sense of oppression to be surrounded by so many ignorant people led astray by evil. It is ununderstandable to Sr. Wantabee how that can be believed or spoken.

Upon arriving home, she shared with her daughter the honor of meeting one of the few chosen. Her daughter said, “Oh, my friend, is going to that college and studying Biblical counseling so soon there will be seven!”

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