In her novel The Living, Annie Dillard describes this scene from a funeral:

''Hugh stood with stiff Lulu and supple Bert at the graveside. The Nooksacks stood together with their preacher. ''Before the funeral, in mourning for his father, they had shrieked and pounded on boards...

''At last big-faced Norval Tawes read Scripture and prayed. 'O Death, where is thy sting?' Norval Tawes called out, and his little black eyes glittered on Hugh.

''Hugh thought, 'Just about everywhere, since you ask.'''

And it is. Death stings just about everywhere. In today's gospel, there is death. A woman is dying because of a seemingly incurable, chronic illness; a little girl has already died. A father stands helpless, as helpless as if he were dead. The grieving father is a ' ruler of the synagogue," so …