"So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice." (John 16:22)

"Parting is such sweet sorrow" is a common saying. When parting comes for us, we may have our doubts about the "sweet" part, but we are sure of the "sorrow." It is sorrow for the one leaving. A certain man and woman were deeply in love, but they lived a thousand miles apart. Because of their work, they got to visit each other only at three-week intervals. They took turns flying to each other. After one such visit, the woman wrote her fiance, "I cried all the way home."

It is sorrow also for the one left behind. One of the very earliest memories of my childhood deals with tears of farewell. It occurred during World War I when I was only a few years old. It was a big event when a train load of you…