Pastor Rick Warren used the buffer of social media to share a sermon on loss delivered a week after his 27-year-old Matthew was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound — illustrating in part how use of sites like Facebook and Twitter can provide not only powerful means of amplification but also a necessary buffer in times of grief, stress or loss.
Rick Warren’s reaction to Matthew’s death initially came in the form of social media interaction as well, and the pastor and his Saddleback Church used the “share” friendly medium to great effect on Friday night as Warren spoke out for the first time at length about his faith and family’s experience coping with the loss of his son.
Over on Facebook, Warren posted several times as he memorialized Matthew, with one post quoting scripture and reading:
‘I would have despaired unless I had believed that I’d see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living’ Ps.27:13 NAS
Warren also opined:
‘Mental illness’ is a poor term, sounding like ‘It’s just your mind.’ But a broken brain is as physical as a broken bone.
Over on Twitter, Rick Warren tweeted many of the same comments, and said:
7 days ago, at this moment, I learned news that would impact the rest of my life and ministry. Thankful for Psalm 27:13
— Rick Warren (@RickWarren) April 13, 2013
Grief is God’s tool for handling life’s losses. If you don’t grieve, you get stuck. “Blessed are those who mourn” Jesus
— Rick Warren (@RickWarren) April 13, 2013
Some things you don’t get over; you get through them.
— Rick Warren (@RickWarren) April 13, 2013
Today, Warren tweeted some joyful memories of Matthew:
’06 bungee jumping a 1500 ft canyon in a storm with sons Josh and Matt instagram.com/p/YD424TI02g/
— Rick Warren (@RickWarren) April 13, 2013
Do you think Rick Warren’s grief-stricken tweets will do some good among the similarly suffering?
It sounds like Rick Warren is keeping his hope in the right place and encouraging others to do the same. Thank you for this article. It's good to see the ways people are using social media for stuff that matters.
My heart goes out to him and his family. It is so true that mental illness is as much a physical sickness as cancer. I pray that God will use his sons death for good. Glad that Rick Warren has facebook and twitter as an outlet and a way to reach people.
I cannot imagine losing a child.