When part of your family lives half way across the world, bereavement can strike you particularly hard. Sometimes it is possible to travel home to be with the family, to take part in the funeral, to share fellowship, grief, and thanksgiving together, but sometimes it is simply not possible and that is hard.
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| Abie with some of her St James friends |
Of course, modern technology means you can watch events live on video, and when Abi from St James lost her mother, she was able to do just that, but even that is not quite the same as being there. What she really wanted was a service of song and thanksgiving
in her church with her community of friends
here on the day of the burial and that was why we met in St James yesterday evening for a service of prayer and thanksgiving.
We prayed, we sang a selection of songs chosen by Abie (In Christ Alone, There is a Redeemer, Only by grace, Amazing Grace, Shine Jesus Shine), and I spoke from John 14 about the Father's house and Jesus being the only way there.
We recalled the words of St Paul that we should not 'mourn like men with no hope'
Afterwards we had a sumptuous near-to-midnight feast, overflowing with food in typical Nigerian generosity. It was a good evening and a good way to remember a beloved mother.
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