When Heroes FallSample

GRIEVING AND HEALING

As we saw in yesterday’s reading, King Saul kept trying to kill David. So when Saul was killed in battle, you would think that the news would have made David happy.

But there was no rejoicing, only mourning. The Bible records, “David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the Lord’s army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day” (2 Samuel 1:11-12 NLT).

Why would David mourn a man who had tried to kill him?

At the start of their relationship, Saul was good to David. He honored David and brought him into the king’s household as a friend. When David mourned, perhaps he thought of those good moments with Saul. Perhaps he remembered the man Saul had been before his jealousy and hatred entered the scene. Perhaps he had hoped God would restore his relationship with Saul, despite all their differences, and now they would never have that chance.

These are some of the reactions we may have when someone we admired falls off a pedestal. So let’s take note of how David dealt with his disenfranchised grief.

David devoted time to processing his feelings. He gave himself space to wrestle with the questions that flooded his soul because he lost people he loved. He spent the entire day mourning.

In his sorrow, David even composed a song for Jonathan and Saul. He put his pain into words, singing:

Oh, how the mighty heroes have fallen!

Stripped of their weapons, they lie dead. (verse 27 NLT)

Processing your loss may be a long, sad road, but please know there is joy on the other side. What once felt unbearable will become manageable. The shame of disenfranchised grief will become strength. Hope will begin to bloom in the places in your heart that your tears watered, and you’ll be ready to navigate the emotional toll of unforgiveness.

When you think about your fallen hero, what parts of this person do you mourn?