By Simon Gonzalez, Samaritan's Purse web editor

Death is never too far from your thoughts when you work for a ministry specializing in disaster relief.

When we write about a Samaritan's Purse response, the number of people killed is part of reporting on the scope of the tragedy. I’ve written or edited stories about the tsunami and earthquake in Japan last year (at least 15,845 deaths), and the Haiti earthquake the year before (over 300,000 dead). In 2009 it was a typhoon in the Philippines, earthquakes in Indonesia, and a tsunami in the Samoan islands (more than 1,500 perished).

Every year for the past 11 there have been many pieces involving Samaritan's Purse responses to natural disasters, wars, genocide, refugee crisis, and famines that have included death tolls.

Just last year, I had first-hand experience with a couple of disasters, covering the spring tornadoes and Hurricane Irene. I’ll never forget the terrible feeling when looking at the horrifying devastation from the massive tornado that killed 160 in Joplin, Missouri.

Death became a bit more personal a little over a week ago, when I attended the funeral of my mother-in-law, Mildred Russell.

We rushed to Texas when we got the news that Christine’s mother had suffered a massive stroke. We saw her in the hospital, and were at her side when she died in hospice a couple of days later. It was difficult, especially for my wife. There were plenty of tears, plenty of sorrow.

And yet we did not mourn as those without hope. Mildred trusted Jesus as her savior, and believed He died for her sins. She was stalwart in her faith, never wavering through the ups and downs of life.

There were more laughs than tears at the visitation and the funeral, as we celebrated a life well lived. We knew that Mildred, who suffered from congestive heart failure and the early stages of Alzheimer’s, was in a better place.

What’s the connection between writing about disasters and attending a family funeral? Simply this. Both are reminders of the transitory nature of life.

Some will get a memorial service at the end of a long, full life. Others perish suddenly in an earthquake, a tsunami, a tornado. Both are hard, sorrowful, even heartbreaking.

But the real tragedy comes when, regardless of the end, the person dies without Christ.

The primary focus of Samaritan's Purse is to tell people about Jesus, to point the way to eternal life. The aid comes with no strings attached. People don’t have to hear the Gospel, or profess faith in Christ, to receive help. But the Gospel message is the most important thing we can give, because it is the only thing with lasting value.

What applies to a disaster relief ministry applies even more to all of us as individual Christians. The most important thing we can do is tell about Jesus, to proclaim that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that He is the only way to the Father.

So when the inevitable end comes, sorrow is mixed with rejoicing and we can boldly say, death, where is thy sting?

Samaritan's Purse , Where is Thy Sting?

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