There Is Liberation In Our Collective Grief

There are many types of grieving, but one of the ones we experience the most is collective grieving. Collective grieving happens when disasters, shootings, or other publicly known events cause a sense of loss or disrupt our everyday lives. 

Collective grief is a normal part of life, but there is also a spiritual component to it.  God grieves whenever he sees people take actions that hurt each other– especially against marginalized groups.

When our people are murdered, God hurts, too. More than that, he tries to comfort us. That comfort can show up by allowing ourselves to feel whatever we feel without judgment, being in community with others, or taking time to meditate and reflect. But we can find liberation in our grief, too.

Liberation in grief means that we don’t rush to return to normal and realize that grief is not a linear process- regardless of what society says. When we make time for grief, we allow our bodies, minds, and spirits to process. But there’s something else, too.

Freeing ourselves from grief means that we don’t seek to “get over” our feelings quickly. When we extend time, grace, and support to one another in distress, we free ourselves in ways that can never be taken away. We must bear witness to our truths, even in grief.