Across the Pastor’s Desky by Kenneth Jensen

Kenneth Jensen is a retired Evangelical Lutheran Church Association pastor living in Albert Lea.

Nearly 50 years ago, Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross wrote a book entitled “On Death and Dying.” It is a classic resource in understanding emotions and behaviors we go through as we face the prospect of dying or grieving a death. The five stages of grief are described as denial, anger, bargaining — “If I only” — depression and acceptance.

I recall sitting in a presentation by Kubler-Ross as she related the story of a hospital in Chicago. It was policy for staff to refrain from using the words “death” or “dying” when on the floor.

A young intern returned to the nurses’ station to report one of the patients had just died. Uncertain as to what euphemism for death would be appropriate, he blurted out, “Grandma won’t be shopping at K-Mart anymore.”

Denial can be a good thing. As a coping mechanism, it is a gift from God offering us time to let bad news sink in, thereby enabling us to adjust and adapt to a painful or stressful situation. Long term, denial is something else!

Fifty years ago a handful of theologians concluded that “God was dead!” Critics proclaimed, “God was not dead!” But they missed the point. Yes, God had not died, but society was living in denial as though God were dead.

Whether in denial on issues such as climate change or personal issues such as addiction, denial only forestalls an inevitable path to a negative outcome. In its wake, not only ourselves, but others are affected, as well.

Whether the addiction be accumulating stuff, becoming buried in one’s work or being consumed by pornography, drugs or alcohol, there remains a hunger which goes unsatisfied.

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; s/he who comes to me shall not hunger, and s/he who believes in me shall never thirst,” John 6:35.

The early church father, Augustine, put it this way: “The restless soul does not find its rest until it rests in God.”

A recent 16-year study of 75,534 women participating in a nurses’ health study revealed that individuals who worship weekly are at a 26 percent lower risk of a premature death than those who do not.

“This suggests that there is something powerful about the communal religious experience,” said Tyler VanderWeele, professor of epidemiology at Harvard University.

We are creatures interwoven with a body, mind and spirit. Most individuals are concerned for their physical well-being. Many expand their ability to think. Unfortunately, there remain others who live in denial of the need to nurture their spiritual well-being.

In our concern for one another, why not greet a friend this week by saying, “See you in church on Sunday?” We could be doing each other a favor.