Suicidal people

  How do you exactly answer people who tells you that they want to die? That life holds no meaning to them and they are better off dead? If these people are living a well off life and have family members loving them, I would give these people a huge lashing as they do not know how lucky they are. But what about those unlucky ones?

  Those who are abandoned by their children, those who live in one small room apartments and have no future prospect. Full of illness and have difficultly moving around. They tell you that they are suicidal, what do you tell them?

  I do not know. I remember a few years back, this situation occured to me and my friend when we were doing some volunteering work. I did not know what to do, I was stunned and kept quiet. I knew deep in my heart that he/she was really pitiful and living on a daily basis was a torture. I knew that if I were in his/her shoe, I would probably feel the same way.  I stood there like an idiot, thinking about what kind of approach I should  use when my friend decided to flare up.

  She was angry and questioned the person why was he/she so negative. Why did he/she have thoughts about dying and that there are people who would be sad if he/she passed away.

  I took that all in, and at that point of time I was impressed. I thought that she had a good approach. I also realized that she did not give a "solution" because there isn't one. So now that I think about it, it did not help that person's situation one bit. We only interacted with him/her for that short while, so much of an impact can we leave on that person?

  As I ponder over it a little more, the question turned from "how should we reply" to "how can we prevent it from happening?" To leave this world in that state of mind is truly devasting. It showed me how frightening it is to live a life without hope, without the desire to live.

  I do not want that to happen to me or my friends. I think about how I am now, that I have many things to look forward to in life, that not a single thought of suicide even remotely occur to me. I daresay that person lying on the bed had what I had once in his/her life. When and how did those things get taken away from him/her? I am sure it happened within a blink of an eye. These things get taken away from you slowly and silently until one day there's nothing else to take anymore. That's when desperation for death comes and all hope is lost.

  Today I am on my way to my Church's easter service. Jesus was crucified on the cross and died and he came alive three days later. Given his triumph over death, he gave people hope. He had the authority of the father and this same authority are given to all his followers. As Jesus followers, we can all triumph death and reunite with our creator.

  Is this how I am suppose to answer the person? That he/she can find peace in death and reunite with god if he/she wants it and that I can help by praying for him/her?

  I do not know. God, can you give me the answer during the service later?