A Better Way Out

25 April 2005

Dear students,

Thoughts on Today

I am sure that most of you would have already received the very sad and tragic news about our classmate, P.T.. He took his life today. I am sure that I speak for everyone when I say that we are all truly and deeply saddened by this loss. Class will not be the same without him.

Before I continue, let me just say that I have been informed by L.B. that counseling services will be provided on Wednesday afternoon. For those of you who feel that you would like to receive some form of professional support, please do make the time to speak with someone, whether at this appointed time or at another place and time of your choosing.

I am sorry that we will not really have another opportunity anytime soon to be together as a class, but I feel that there are some things that I would like to say, even if only via email.

Where does one begin?

I must say that when I received the news there was instinctive denial (no, that just can’t be true!), and then absolute shock. But now that a few hours have passed, and I have had some time to settle myself, and sit back and get some perspective on things, these are the thoughts that I would like to share …

First of all, as with the recent passing of my father, I accept that God knew this was going to happen even before it did. It took all of us by surprise, but not God. And by extension, God, who is merciful and just, knows that some good will come out of this. Strange as that may seem. That is just something that I accept by faith.

Secondly, it is so important that we keep close friendships (even if we have just one close friend or confidante). I have gained such comfort and wise counsel from several of my friends tonight. It really has allowed God to pour in his peace and comfort into my heart.

The animal kingdom really helps illustrate why it is so important to not become isolated and cut off from (friendly) company. The first animals that predatory beasts bring onto their radar are those who are straggling or those who are too weak to keep up with the rest of the pack. That is why it is important that the ‘weak’ get themselves to the center of the pack, and why the ‘strong’ also need to keep an eye out for their weaker comrades. For there really is strength in numbers.

Having a trustworthy friend, and being willing to make others privy to the deep issues of our heart (even if it seems embarrassing) can literally make the difference between life and death.

The thing is, when P.T. is no longer here, it does not mean that he has ceased to exist. It just means that he exists in a different place. When we die, we don’t suddenly become formless and lifeless. We do not return to nothingness. Human beings are eternal creatures, made in the image of our Creator who is also eternal. Death does not mean an end to our existence.

The stark reality is that after we die and enter eternity, we either end up in the embrace of God or in the burning, blazing coals of Hell (wherever that might be). What decides where we end up is whether we choose God’s ways or not. Although Hell is a reality, it is not necessarily designed to scare us into a relationship with God, though that is what happens to some people sometimes.

God Himself is the greatest advertisement for a life that is designed according to and motivated by His principles. For God is wise, humble, just, merciful, strong, gentle, severe, light hearted and much, much more. Just imagine the person whose company you love most and then multiply that by infinity. That’s God.

All that to say, there are many lessons to be learnt from what happened today. If all we do is wring our hands and beat our chests and then go back to normal living, we will have learnt little. Perhaps we will each gain different insights, but what I have seen is that:

- We need friends to form strong walls of protection about us
- The strongest wall is friendship with God
- We need to ensure that we do not isolate ourselves
- Isolation makes us easy prey for forces of suicidal darkness
- We need to be compassionate towards the 'weak'
- We need to appreciate our value in God's eyes

There is no sense in condemning ourselves for things we have no control over. P.T. made his choice, and having interacted with him, I do believe that God did provide a way out for him. It is sad that he either did not see it or perhaps did not accept it, but as sad as that is, none of us can reverse what happened.

God is a God of Hope.

Hope = confidence in a good outcome despite current circumstances

I can say much more, but I will end off here. Praying that we all learn from this tragedy, and gain the type of wisdom that will cause us to build or deepen our foundations in Christ.

With sincere wishes,

Ai Laoshi

Teacher Edwards