A Few Reflections on the Death of a Child

I was recently asked to do a funeral for a baby girl who died of SIDS at 3 months. You never look forward to a funeral because death is evil plainly put, but for my third funeral, the death of this little baby? My first was burying my cousin who died of a heroine overdoes. A few months ago, an older lady in our church passed away. There is some reason behind the death of the other two. But a baby dying at 3 months? It seems so senseless. But I do feel called to do this sort of thing as challenging as it is.

You want to know why did God let this happen. And the why question can drive you nuts. Especially because we know that God is a God of power and love and so he was able to save that child's life if he had acted. There seems to be this dissonance, between God and a death like this. Yes you can say we live in a fallen world, a dangerous, chaotic place. But this does not help. You can ask the why question ad nauseam and it won't get any better. The why question only seems to mock you. So where do you go from here. You go back to what you do know.

First, we don't know answers to many why questions. Enough said.

Second, we still affirm that God is good, loving and all powerful. He weeps over a friend, whom he permitted to die, would he also weep over this tiny baby whom he permitted to die? I don't think that because the all powerful God permits horrible things to happen that he enjoys them or thinks yes this was a good thing that this child died. He weeps and yet, still permits it to happen.

Third, God tasted the death of the cross to rid of of death, sin, pain, and tears.