The grieving process refers to the stages that people undergo when they are suffering a loss or when they are in the last stages in their life. The Kubler Ross grieving model was developed by author Kubler Ross in her book ‘On Death and Dying’ that was published in 1969. Ross (1969) outlines five stages of grief that people undergo. The stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The model explains that when people are faced with a loss or they smell an imminent death, they at first encounter do not accept the occurrence. Some of them will even verbalize their denial. When the same people realize that their discovery is a fact, they react with anger. After this they try to argue with nature to eliminate the misfortune. When it becomes clear to them that they will not avoid the misfortune, they experience a period of grief. Later they accept the situation or the occurrence in a stage known as acceptance.

The model proposed by Ross (1969) further proposes that these stages are personal and individualistic in nature. It is possible, therefore, that some people will not undergo through all of them or that some people will experience the stages at in the reverse or distorted order.

Job was a God-fearing man in the Christian Bible who underwent loss and suffering after losing his sons and property systematically in a scheme coined by the devil (Job 1:12, New International Version). The process of grief of Job can be likened or contrasted by the model of grief proposed by Kubler Ross. Evidence from the Christian Bible show that job did not undergo the process of grief in a systematic process as proposed by Kubler Ross’ model (Boyer, 2009). Although Job did not follow the process proposed by Ross (1969), Job undergoes almost all the processes that Kubler outlines. It is important to appreciate the events that unfold in every stage of Job’s grief as they rhyme with the behavior that Ross proposed in her model of the five stages of grief.

A close examination of Job’s story shows the stages as they unfold in different chapters in the book of Job. Chapter two shows a real beginning of his actual grieving process. In chapters one and two job speaks with short speeches connoting his condition of denial. This was proposed by Ross as the first stage of grief and this compares very well with the process of grief of Job. Ross outlined anger as the second stage of grief. In chapters 9 and 19 of Job’s story, the sermon connotes a theme of anger. Indeed, Job seems to be filled with anger and he is hopeless. He says that even if he called God, he wouldn’t be heard (Job 9: 16, New InternationalVersion). Job mentions anger throughout the chapter. This shows what is disturbing him in his heart.

The stage of depression which comes as if it were grief that is approved comes out clearly in the story of Job. As kubler explains the behavior of a person who is undergoing depression, so is Job portrayed in the passages displaying his depression stage. This leaves one wonder why God can allow a humble human being like Job to suffer. This is because the goodness of Job is portrayed when he is undergoing depression. Depression is clearly spelt again at the end of chapter two when Job’s friends spend seven days and seven nights with him (Job 2: 11-13). This again rhymes with the model proposed by Kubler about the stage of grief. The difference is that the depression stage of Job does not come at the step proposed by Ross.

Acceptance is shown in Job’s story when he refuses to curse God as his wife proposes. He is so pressed that even his son wonders whether they will be receiving both the bad and the good from God. This is very reflective of real life situations and the model proposed by Kubler Ross. When people are in the stage of acceptance, they even call their relatives and prepare them about the imminence of amisfortune.

However, the story of stage of bargaining does not come out well with Job’s story. His depression stage seems to be prolonged such that he ‘forgets’ to bargain. This and the fact the Job does not undergo the classical process proposed by Ross are among the contrasts in Job’s story. Ross’ model agrees with the Muslim faith especially the stage of grief. Muslims believe that all people are equal before God and they blame God in their stage of anger. They argue that if God loves all equally, why then should He bring suffering to some selected few.

The interaction between joy and grief in these models comes about in the acceptance process and in the recovery process in grief, where the one grieving has not died. We see Job composed in his acceptance stage and verbalizing the hope of the future. In real life people recount their achievements in the last stage of grieving and they are filled with joy when they remember all they have achieved.

Kubler Ross’ model relates and reflects life as it is in the present. I underwent the grief process explained by Kubler though I didn’t go through the classical process. Another distinction is that my grief period was very short when my brother died. I came to accept it as a fact very first. My view on grief and the way of handling it is that one should allow the natural process to take course. Forcing the steps to rush quickly may hurt the person even more. As job went through the process, completed it and emerged a winner, one should allow nature to take its course.

References

Boyer, C.M. (2009). Job’s grief: Bargaining and despair. Retrieved from http://www.gsbchurch.com

Ross, K. (1969). On death and dying. London: Scribner Publishers.