Suicide

Did that title get your attention?  I can't seem to get anything else done this morning until I get this out of my system.  Actually, it probably won't be out of my system for a while.  One of my former students committed suicide recently.  His memorial was this week.  You need to know about this because suicide affects everyone: the living and the dead.

This boy was odd but friendly.  I had seen him at church and had him in English class his freshman year.  He had friends who showed up and talked about their friendship at the memorial.  The pastor said that this boy had made a profession of faith in 2008 which brought comfort to many.  I don't know what motivated him to make such a drastic decision.  We may never know.  However, there are several things about suicide that you do need to know.

The first thing that many of my students say is that suicide will send you to hell.  I challenge them to find support for that statement.  Matthew 12:31 says that the only sin that cannot be forgiven is blasphemy against the Spirit of God.  The next argument is that when you commit suicide that you can't ask for forgiveness.  True, but who remembers to ask forgiveness for every sin ever committed?  I don't and I try.  John 5:24 says that whoever hears and believes will not be condemned.  The Bible never says that we have to have all of our sins confessed in order to get to Heaven.  Multiple times, we are told that we have to believe and accept what Christ did for us.  We don't have to be perfect.  We can't be perfect because we live in a sinful and fallen world.  The purpose of confessing sin is to bring us to a closer relationship with God.  Sin hurts our relationship with God, but it doesn't end the relationship.  It doesn't cause Him to turn his back on us.

I teach Romeo and Juliet every year and spend a ton of time talking about suicide.  We look at all the circumstances and play the "what if . . . " game with all of the decisions that the couple makes.  We talk about all the other options that they had.  We talk about options that students have today.  I can't share scripture with them, but I share everything else I can.  If they bring up the Bible, I run with it!  They always do.  We talk about the families and communities that are hurt by the selfish action of suicide.  I tell the story of my friend Peruna who committed suicide about 10 years ago.  The life lessons that I get to teach are equally if not more important than learning where to put a comma in a sentence or finding the author's purpose in a magazine article.

Here is what I want everyone to remember: I Corinthians 10:13 says that there is always a way to escape a sinful situation.  Philippians 1:6 says that God is still working on us.  Don't give up on your life.  God has more for you.  Jeremiah 29:11 says that God has plans of hope for us.

Don't give up.

If you feel like you want to give up, talk to a parent, a teacher, or a pastor.  They can help you to find your options to make it through the circumstances.

Here is the song that the family played at the memorial service.  If anyone is paying attention, this is what I would also like at my own funeral.