What Can I Do?

Recently, I had the ultimate privilege to serve as an usher at a funeral

For a 22 year old

I have been to this funeral

Many times

I’m from Beaufort, SC.

As my maternal grandmama used to say, for a town its size Beaufort has a lot of tragedy

I have buried the dead

I have mourned

He whom every grief hath known that wrings the human breast and takes and bears them for His own that all in him may rest also wept

There were so many young people in the church

Hundreds of them

“Son, please take off your baseball cap.”

“Oh, sorry, Sir”

All dazed with grief

Sobbing and crying as one expects

Through the hymns and the readings and the First Song of Isaiah

Then, the deceased’s mother took to the lectern to speak about her recently departed boy

Without shedding one single tear

Without cracking her voice

Without missing a beat

With love

With conviction

With visible heartache and careworn brow

At the end of her remembrance, she said the following which is a paraphrase since my racking sobs prevented a direct quote

At the end of her time, our Rector commented that it was one of the most powerful things he had ever heard in a church

Agreed

This is what she said, more of less

…. So many of you young people have asked me what you can do.

This is what you can do.

Pick up your Bible.

Read it.

Pray from it.

That’s how you will honor my son and our family …

Silence

Then more sobs like you’ve never heard

Audible gasps and choking

The other ushers and I could not look at each other

The sexton said he had to go outside

A friend helping with the reception in the Parish Hall said they were just all openly sobbing

And then we sang Jesus Loves Me, This I Know

Jesus wept

John 19:25-27

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.