Comfort for People Wey Dey Mourn

One small group sit down together for one room wey lamp dey light. Somebody wey dem love don die. Dem believe for Jesus. But dem get one question wey nobody fit answer for dem. Wetin go happen now?

Di church for Thessalonica dey very young. Paul stay with dem only short time before dem force am to comot. E don teach dem say Jesus, wey die and rise again, go come back one day. Dem believe am with all dem heart. But then, before dat day reach, some of dem own people die. Maybe one old man. Maybe one mother, or one friend. And di church dey mourn, and dem dey worry. Di ones wey don die go miss am when Jesus return? Timothy carry dem questions go back to Paul. So Paul write.

Paul start gently. Brothers and sisters, I no want make una no know about di ones wey don sleep. Sleep. Na di word wey Paul choose for believers wey don die. E be soft word, and word wey get hope, because people wey sleep dey wake up. Then e talk one important thing. I no want make una sorrow like other people wey no get hope. See am well, Paul no talk say make una no mourn. E know say to lose somebody dey pain. Jesus imself cry for di grave of im friend Lazarus. Wetin Paul talk be say, make una no mourn like say hope no dey. Because hope dey.

See di hope. Because if we believe say Jesus die and rise again, Paul write, na so too God go bring with am di ones wey sleep inside Jesus. Jesus comot from im tomb. And dat one mean say death no get di last word for di people wey belong to am. Then Paul tell dem wetin di Lord go do. Di Lord imself go come down from heaven with one shout, with di voice of di archangel, and with di trumpet of God. And di dead wey dey inside Christ go rise first. Then di ones wey still dey alive go gather up together with dem, inside di clouds, to meet di Lord for air. And so we go dey with di Lord forever. So di ones wey don die no go miss anything at all. In fact, Paul talk, dem go first. Paul no tell dem di day or di hour. E no draw map of di future for dem. E tell dem who dey come, and who go dey with am. Di same Jesus wey die and rise. And everybody wey belong to am, together.

Paul end dis part of im letter with one simple instruction. So make una comfort one another with dis words. E no give dem puzzle to argue about. E give dem words to talk to each other, as dem sit down together inside dem sorrow. Words wey mother fit talk to pikin wey im grandparent don die. Words wey friend fit talk beside grave. Together. With di Lord. Forever.

Paul use two words here wey im first readers know well. Di coming of di Lord na parousia, word wey dem dey use for di official visit of king or emperor to one city. And to meet am na apantesis, di word for di moment when di citizens go outside di gates to greet di ruler wey dey arrive and follow am enter. Thessalonica don see dat kind visits. Paul borrow dat picture: di believers dey go out with joy to meet dem King.

Comfort for people wey dey mourn. You go find dis words for First Thessalonians chapter four, verse thirteen to eighteen. Sorrow na real thing, and hope na real thing too, because Jesus die and rise again. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Who you know wey dey sad right now, and how you fit bring am comfort?