What Happened?
On lap 11 Wheldon hit the back of E. J. Viso's car. Wheldon's car was sent into a barrel roll that took his life. The 15 car pile-up that followed saw flames engulf several other cars, including Australian Will Power. Power was cleared of serious injuries but the severity of the accident and death of Wheldon have impacted the racing world, including Australia.
Gold Coast 600
This weekend the Gold Coast hosts the V8 Supercars. The death has brought home to Australian fans the risks involved in the sport. Wheldon was due to arrive in Australia to race the V8 Gold Coast 600. His V8 partner for the race, James Courtney, was watching the race on TV and saw the accident.
How to cope with grief and loss
The death and its impact are being felt throughout the motor sport's world. This is something we all understand. The death of loved ones is something we all have or will face. Well-Being Australia Theologian reflects on the process of grief and loss. While we all experience loss we all react differently: and that is OK. We all go through different stages of grief, and again, that is OK. The key is to remember it is a journey. We don't "get over" the death of a loved one. We journey through it.
One question that often comes up is, "Why did this happen?" The "why" question is impossible to answer. We often don't know why. The best response is not to ask the "why" question but ask the "who" question. "Who can I turn to now to help me on this journey?" The "who" could be friends or family. They can help often by simply being there. They don't have to say anything, it is often just about their presence.
Not the End
Another person we can turn to who is always there is Jesus. God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to be present amongst us (John 1:14). He is there walking beside us in our grief (Ps 23). Jesus also reminds us of this journey through grief when He was talking to His disciples (John 16:20). He was explaining that when He would die they would grieve but this grief would be turned to joy. The joy came when Jesus conquered death and rose from the grave. The cross should remind us that death is not the end.
It is hard to say goodbye but in Jesus we can know that physical death is not the end. Jesus won victory over death and everyone that wants to be on Jesus' team gets to share in that victory. This is why John 3:16 explains that Jesus came to give us eternal life. That is why Jesus was so confident in explaining that blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted (Mat 5:4).