Mourn

                                                                                    MOURN

Introduction:

Many people have different thought and opinion about mourn. They defined or expressed in different meaning for the word “mourn”. Let us see what mourn is according to the Bible and cultural perspective and understand about the word.

Definition:

The word “mourn” comes from the Greek word “mermeros” meaning ‘worried’. In the oxford Dictionary defines the words mourn in (N) means to feel deep sorrow following the death or loss of something. Another meaning for mourn is to make a low, indistinct, mournful sound which is especially used of a dove. And even when we see in (transitive verb) it also defines that to feel or expressed grief or sorrow or grieves over someone who has died. 

Causes for mourn:

Mourn can be of different causes, it can be because of death we see in Joseph life. Joseph son of Jacob mourned for his father death for seven days recorded in (Gen 50:10). And some may be because of defection in (I Sam 15:35; 16:1). Saul mourned for Samuel before he died because he thought that he won’t be able to see Samuel again. We also see the prophet Ezra mourned for the disobedience Israel whose sins were very high and great (Ezra 9:4-7). Moreover, we also see that the people of Israel’s mourned for desolation, because the grain offering and drink offering was cut off from the house of the Lord; the fields were ruined, the ground and the new wine had been dried up (Joel 1:9, 10). The Israelites also mourned for diseases. Job got very painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it (Job 2:5-8).

The sign of mourns:

Many people in the history of Israel we found that they used some rage clothes, and some were putting a sack clothes (Gen 37:34) when they mourn for the death particularly. And some of them by tearing his own clothes (2 Sam 3:31, 32) lay down on the floor, putting ashes on his head (2 Sam 13:19) and some were apparel head shaves (Jer 16:6, 7). In this way many Israelites did in their mourning. This mourning is to signify that they love for the death person or commemorate for him. Through the using of sack clothes, tearing clothes and putting ashes tells us that their mourning is not just for the name sake but it gives a deep meaning of love for the death memorial of the mourners. This also express their sadness or grieve to the public.

Mourn transformed:

When we look to the Israelites history we see that many people observed the days for mourning. Mourning for death, diseases, affliction, desolation etc but the most amazing things we found in the Bible is that mourn transform into gladness. In (Is 51:11; 35:10) we finds that Isaiah was mourned for the gladness because he believed that one day the ransom of the lord will return entering the Zion with singing everlasting joy. And now that’s Christ who came and saved us from the bondage of sins. And he became the everlasting joy for us today. And through this mourn it also give us a hope for the future. In (John 11:23-28), we see that Lazarus was death and his sisters were mourning for him for three days. Jesus had given Lazarus alive for Mary and Martha. This resurrection also tells us that one day we too will die physically but will arise as Christ arose from the death. This is the hope for us today.

Cultural context: 

Culturally, at present this mourns is still continuing in some part of Northeast India. Some tribes observed to use black clothes during mourning for the death. Some people mourn in order to express their sadness or grieve in a public so that people may know that someone had loss or death. And this was done in order to commemorate his death or loss. In the ancient days, many people mourn for the death and that mourn was the important part of their cultures. They observed 5 to10 days for mourning. When we look in the culture of our state, we can find many places that are still continuing to mourn for the death person. E.g: - the Karbi tribe. The Karbi tribe observed mourn as the especial occasion for the death person for memory. They mourn for 5/6 days whenever some one had died in the village or town. During this mourning, the mourner will not eat food nor drink water until the end of the mourning days. But when we look the context of the ancient days, the Israelites mourn for many days in order to show their sadness to the public [Gen: 50:10]. In the history of the Israel, mourn is very common in the culture and observed as a practice of their especial day. In the book of (Zac 12:10-14) tells us that all the people of Israel will mourn for the one they have pierced.

Conclusion:

Let me conclude my writing on mourn by saying few words. When we think of mourn, we naturally thought that mourn is simplicity and many people take it lightly, but it’s very important some of the tribes especially the Israelites. Sometime it’s a painful thing that the ancient day’s people practiced in their life. Mourn was considered as the big occasion for the living in order to remember the death person. Sometimes it’s not much applicable for the modern day because many of us didn’t practice how we should mourn and when we should mourn in the mourner life. Mourn is also part in the Israelite custom.