Analyzes A Book By Nicholas Wolterstorff, Lament For A Son (Essay Sample)

Lament For a Son
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Lament For a Son
This essay analyzes a book by Nicholas Wolterstorff, Lament for a Son. The author speaks of his traumatic death recollection of the death of his son who was aged 25 years. He died in Austria following a climbing accident in 1983. He speaks of how it was possible for him to overcome his grief through the faith he had in God. We shall also look into the five stages of grief, how the author finally gets to find happiness in the end and how the hope of resurrection helps in comforting the author. He asks himself questions that we all tend to ask ourselves when we face hard times and gives answers.
Elisabeth Kubler Ross states that there are five stages of normal grief. These stages are; isolation or denial, bargaining, anger, acceptance, and depression and are all associated with mourning (Kubler-Ross, 1969). They are a response to a painful life event, for example the loss of a loved one or ending of a relationship. These stages may not follow the order for all people, and may have time difference in different people. The author tends to find isolation and he states that (Wolterstorff, 1987) he is almost like an alien in the world.
The author shows his anger when he says that the world has a hole. His son was once there but it does not have anything now. He cannot replace his son in his heart with anything. His son, Eric, left only ‘emptiness’ behind. The questions in the author’s mind will never get an answer because his son is already dead. He has an infinite abyss in his life that will never be sealed because of the loss of his son (Wolterstorff, 1987).
We see his bargaining in his beliefs in God. He asks why his son climbed the mountain on his own. He reads books about grief in order to try having a better understanding on how he should deal with the loss of his son. God is mentioned in these books. He owes the misery of the death of his son to God. The dates that brought him joy earlier now bring him bitter tears.
He regrets about the things he should have done while Eric was still alive. That he should have taken him to hiking, and should not have put work ahead of having time with his son. He regrets also not having given Eric enough credits for numerous of his achievements that were great. He finds acceptance at last. He understands that the death of his son was the natural will of God. He records that there is nothing that can ever bring him acceptance, and concludes that death is left for the overcoming of God. He quotes the Bible, in God I depart in peace for my eyes have seen your salvation, you have shown me the path of life, in your presence there is fullness of joy, in your right hand are pleasures further more (Psalm, 16).
Nicholas Wolterstorff later finds joy. He remembers Eric and makes him a part of the history he owns. He says that the most profound features of Jewish and Christian way of living in the world. He also reads a book that says those people that sow in tears will reap with joy. The author says Shalom is the fullness in all dimensions. Shalom a delightful dwelling and justice with God, with oneself and with others. The author finally finds peace and acceptance to the death of Eric on the words of God.
Death is as a result of the sins of the human, according to the Christian narrative. It did not exist until when man sinned. Jesus later came and died to sacrifice Himself for the sins of the humans. This means that humans will resurrect after death, which still affects all people negatively (Shelly and Miller, 2006). The author does not get any comfort from the resurrection notion. He doubts the resurrection notion and wonders why God cannot simply resurrect Eric then. He does not understand the reason as to why he should h...