Cumulative Grief
This week many of us have been feeling a bit in a funk - a low grade angst, a bit discontent - and I think maybe part of this is the agitation of the great loss experienced by so many friends and by family. Homes & businesses built over decades with love & care - lost in the fire; the unending political dynamics; the wars and rumors of wars around the world. There is a fatigue and bewildered sort of feeling - for so many people who have been impacted directly and from a distance. It all feels off kilter and broken.
Life seems to hold one turmoil after the next. We rebuild from one fire, flood, mudslide, hurricane, illness (you get the point) and the next is at our doorstep. The fact that people are so resilient and hopeful and helpful is genuinely amazing.
The hard times do amplify the acts of kindness.
The donation drives, the solidarity to rebuild, the prayers & encouragement, the complimentary cup of coffee. These acts of goodwill echo the Divine Giver and settle our hearts.
And still, the immense sadness, and realization that even our “safest” spaces - our homes - are transient & fragile.
It’s an uncomfortable fact that many of our securities here are not so secure at all. And that’s a lot to consider.
We build, we work, we establish, we invest…. What happens when it burns down?
If you are one of the people - like me - who has whispered, “what is it all for?” you’ve asked a fair question.
One of the wisest people who ever lived asked this question (sigh of relief - we are in good company).
He was a king, and he denied himself nothing in search for the meaning of life. In the end, he said, it was all meaningless. “A chasing after the wind.”
After all his searching, he came to this conclusion: the best we can do in this life is to stand in awe of God, and to enjoy the work of our hands.
Is that an answer I like? To be honest, I’m not sure.
But I think it is true.
Because as much as I might hope for a life marked by happiness and prosperity, even at it’s best - there will be suffering.
And the only One who can make that ok is Jesus, because He gives us himself in the midst of pain.
And if you have experienced the living person of Christ, you know that to feel him near is an indescribable experience. Simply put: everything is ok, because he is there. The ones who holds the hope of all of heaven. Whose eyes hold a thousand worlds and universes. The One. is with you.
Jesus, when all is lost, you are there. Give us eyes to see you and ears to hear you. Make us aware of your presence. Teach us to number our days, that we might gain a heart of wisdom. And help us to be honest with our grief, because you love honesty.
