Sheol - The Sleepless Night after a Loved One Dies

Dan Bartels, 22, Aaron’s 1st cousin, killed in Iraq. What is it about relationships that make the news come alive? A little over a year ago, I stood at a candle lit vigil with a hundred others in front of our local library to remember the 1,000 U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq. The mood was solemn, but afterwards I made my way back to the dorms, did a little homework, and went about my normal routine. Yesterday, the death of one soldier rocked my world. Maybe it was the phone calls from Aaron’s parents or maybe it was holding my sobbing husband, who so clung desperately to me. What about this one made the impact? Thousands have died on both sides of this war. Before we began dinner, we prayed for grieving families on both sides. Death is different after a little theological education. It still stings. It still comes with questions. The questions this time are different. We aren’t asking, why did God do this or what did we or he do to deserve this? Instead, Aaron asks, “Am I the first one on campus to loose someone to the war?” Whether or not, this is my time to speak up. We know and trust what God has done and promised. We know that Dan, the people in Iraq and all of us are created in the Image of God. I ask for prayers for Dan’s family, for everyone affected by war and for peace.