Throughout scripture God has directed humans to support and care for children and youth separated from their parent or parents. Jesus chastised his disciples because they tried to keep children away from him, and he immediately showed his love and care for them and the high priority he placed on children in God's kingdom. Who Grieve Our own awareness of the needs of children and youth who have experienced loss in their family is often non-existent or, at best, limited. To protect children and youth from experiencing grief is a common adult reaction to the pain of loss in a family. Nevertheless, children and youth deserve a simple, direct, and truthful explanation from the adults in their lives whom they can trust.
Adults often consider grief an adult emotion and believe that children forget and heal quickly.
But children and youth harbor and are frequently overwhelmed by feelings of anger, guilt, fear, or combinations of these emotions. Unavoidable losses for children and youth require them to grieve in order to come to a healthy resolution. Children and youth react to death differently depending on their age, experience, and knowledge. As Christians, we must be aware of the many children and youth in our communities who are grieving the loss of a parent or sibling, or who have feelings of bereavement due to changes in their lives caused by divorce. It is the call and responsibility of congregations to aid children and youth in the healing of the wounds of grief.