Familiar Strangers of China

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55 ESV). People experience grief when a family member or loved one dies. Each person experiences grief in their own way. Death is a taboo topic in many Asian cultures. There is great fear about death. Some people fear that they’ll go to one of the “18 levels of hell.” Others are afraid of retribution for the bad things they did while they were alive. There are customs and traditions interwoven into the culture to take care of the spirit world and protect oneself and one’s family from the spirits of the deceased. It’s believed that a deceased person’s spirit can help or harm business, education, health, personal property, and relationships. When a Christian loses a family member, they must learn how to process grief as a Christian — with hope for eternity and with eyes set on Christ and heaven. Pray for Christians experiencing grief from the loss of a loved one. Ask God to comfort them and give them peace during a challenging time. Ask Him to help them to process grief in a healthy way, and pray that through their grief, they will find hope in Christ.