ABSTRACT
Some people seem to have a faith in god and believing in eternal life seems out of step with the open expression of grief; therefore, they repress the natural expression of thoughts and feelings related to the loss. Obviously, this way of thinking is a natural set-up for a complicated grief response. God does not give out rewards to those who project insulation from the experience of grief. Grief is a friend to be embraced on the journey toward reconciliation. Approaching mourners as a compassionate fellow human being and seeking to understand how their faith impacts on their experience with grief would seem to be much better than either one without the other. The mourner may need support and guidance as he or she struggles to explore questions related to death and faith. Encouraging mourners to teach people about their faith in the context of their losses usually open up an important area of exploration.
