This week, our pastoral care minister and I sat down to discuss a memorial service he would be conducting for the family of a teenage suicide victim. As we talked about this tragic issue, it seemed to us both that a brochure dealing with this subject would be helpful for families in such times. What you are reading today is the result of that conversation. I thought this information might be helpful for you as well. If the subject of suicide is not a present-tense issue for you, I'm glad. But it may become one in the future. I hope you never need to consult the following essay. But if you do, I hope it helps.

More people die from suicide than from homicide in America. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for those aged 15-24, and is most common among those aged 65 years and older. Suicide rates among the elderly are highest for those who are divorced or widowed. In the last half-century, the suicide rate among adolescents and young adults has nearly tripled.

These are some of the facts regarding the tragedy of suicide. However, you are likely reading this essay because this subject is more personal than objective for you. I hope the following conversation can help.

I am writing as a pastor and theologian, not a counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist. I will offer a brief overview of our subject from a biblical and theological perspective, with some practical suggestions at the conclusion of our conversation. But if suicide is a very real issue for you, I urge you to seek professional help immediately. Our pastoral care staff can support you in finding the assistance you need, today.

Much confusion abounds in our society regarding the theological and spiritual dimensions of suicide. Is this the "unpardonable sin"? Can those who take their lives still be in heaven? Why does God permit such a tragedy? How can faith sustain us in this hardest of all times?