"And now a reading from Ecclesiastes: 'To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven; A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.'"
Sibyl Ellis sat in a pew at the back of the church, listening to the priest trying in vain to bring solace to the mourners seated before him. The collective pain of those mourners washed over and through her like a tidal wave. Heads bobbed up and down as several people struggled to hold back their tears. A few small children in the crowd let loose with a loud wail, picking up on the atmosphere of sadness and feeling co
