Expressing Christian Sympathy

While reading the helpful book Christ in The Camp, I have been struck by the expressions of Godward sympathy in the various letters recorded in this book. What hope and comfort these notes must have given to those grieving parents, spouses, and siblings of the fallen Confederate soldiers.

Christ in the Camp is a record of the work of the various chaplains, missionaries, officers, pastors, and colporters (literature distributors) in the Confederate army, particularly in the Army of Northern Virginia. Published by Sprinkle Publications in 1986, it is a reprint of the original work by Confederate chaplain John William Jones (which he produced in 1887, and reissued in 1904). The ISBN is 1-929241-00-3. You can purchase the book new for $20-25.

There are many things we can learn from this book, but I want to focus on one question: What can we learn about expressing Christian sympathy from this book? Let me list a few things:

1. Make much of God.
2. Make much of God’s promises.
3. Make much of God’s mercy, grace, and comfort.
4. Make much of God’s wisdom, not attempting to give our own explanations for a person’s death.
5. Make much of God’s work and Godly influence through the person’s life, while being careful not to exalt the person.
6. Make much of God’s Word, quoting appropriate verses or phrases from the Word.
7. Make much of the importance and privilege of prayer, reminding the grieving to come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and grace to help at just the right time.
8. Make much of God’s providence in orchestrating events to bring glory to His name.

Hopefully these few thoughts will encourage us to offer Godward encouragement to those who are grieving.

Lastly, may I encourage those readers of this blog to consider reading this book in light of the war in Iraq. Who knows all that God is doing in our armies? This book is certainly a stimulation to pray more for those Christians who fight for their country, for the Godly chaplains who work in their midst, and for the Christian officers who lead them.