UNIZIK JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HUMAN RELATIONS

The issue of death has been an argumentative matter in different fields of study. To the philosophers of religion, death is being viewed as evil. Evil can be seen as an occurrence that destroys or hinders the purpose of one in life more often than not bringing pains to him. Therefore, anything that brings pain to man is considered evil. The existence of evil has posed serious problem for theist to contend. The problem is how to reconcile the claim of the existence of God as an omnipotent and all-good with the existence of evil which this existence of evil which this God cannot eliminate. To explain this, series of theodices had been formed viz-a viz: Augustinian theodicy, Irenaean theodicy etc to supply answer to moral and natural evils. Irenaeus said, natural evil (which death is amongst) in the world are not only casually necessary for spiritual development, but equally logically necessary to acquire virtues such as; patience, generosity, courage’s sympathy, bravery. Solomon says, ‘‘it is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter…’’.(Eccles.7:2-3a)These verses reveal the thrust of this paper as pertaining to the reaction of people to the bereaved. The paper discusses the illness of a man called Lazarus who was a close friend to Jesus with his sisters Mary and Martha. Most especially it draws our attention to the shortest verse in the Bible “Jesus Wept”. (John 11:35). What is the Significance of his visit and weeping at Bethany to the Nigerian Christian Leaders when their members are bereaved? Should bereavement serve as a source of income or means of siphoning money today? Should every death be seen as a joyful occurrence for the contemporary Christians? All these questions are logically attempted in this paper through hermeneutical study of the passage and its application. The writer used primary source for his findings and practical experience as a clergy. He recommends that; bereaved family should be sympathized with, funeral service should not be turned to fund raise service, it should not be turned to medium of siphoning, people time should not be wasted, during the bereavement, the family should not be taxed to go and pay huge amount of money before the service could be held. The service should be used to save souls and not to be commercialized. Church leaders should not in the name of raising death use charm. If all these recommendations are followed, time of bereavement would bring consolation to the family and glory to God.

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