Christ Is Risen
Jesus Wept (or: The Problem of Pain)
For my good friend Wick, who asked the question everyone who suffers or watches other suffer asks.
“Why”
Why them? Why me? Why is God silent? Why does this have to happen to good people?
There is, of course, no good answer. Nothing that will not sound trite or overly religious. Even in the gospels, Jesus never tells us “Why”.
“It’s unfair”
Of course it is. Life is often unfair. Was it fair that one who had done absolutely nothing wrong was murdered, simply because he was who he was? Of course not. But you see, the world is broken. It has been from the start - ever since sin came into the world, we humans signed away our rights to it and handed it over to the Enemy. And he cares nothing for fairness at all.
“Why does God not intervene?”
Think carefully - are you sure you want that? Yes! You say. Ah. But look again. Every time He steps in, history changes. The world floods, children die, his son sacrifices himself. Do you truly think He enjoys that? For God to act the way we think we want Him to act would be to negate our choices, our free will, but also it changes things irrevocably. And just because He does not act in a big way does not mean He is not acting at all - who was it who brought you to comfort the friend just when they needed you to? Who was it who made sure someone had just the right words to say to you, or was there with the comfort of friendship? Did you not get up and keep going today, when you did not wish to? Perhaps he is more active than you think.
“Where was God? Why was he silent?”
I don’t know why He seems absent. But… perhaps He isn’t as far away as he seems. We are not promised a life of ease. We are, in fact, promised persecution. “Blessed are you when men persecute you”, we are told. We are promised security. We are promised comfort. Immanuel, they called Him. 'God With Us' - a promise to 'never leave you nor forsake you'. Did you know? In the Garden, as Jesus wept… he got no answer. His beloved son cried so hard he sweated blood, and yet the Father gave no answer. Why? Perhaps he was so overcome that he could not. And yet even in silence was answer enough for Jesus to get up and face his murderers with calm assurance. At the grave of Lazarus, the bible tells us, Jesus wept. The shortest verse in the Bible, and yet one with so much meaning. Why did he weep? For Lazarus? He was dead, what did he care? No. He cried for the people around him, who mourned a friend. He cried for Lazarus’ family. He cried, perhaps… for those who were yet to come, who would stand at the graves of their own friends and family. He cried, perhaps, for you.
I have no easy answers. All I can say is that perhaps He isn’t as silent as you think, perhaps He is so much closer than you know.
Jesus wept, remember. He went to the cross for you. Easter is his proof of how much he cares.
Always, he was with you through the night, and yet you never knew.
This entry was originally posted at http://bookworm-faith.dreamwidth.org/86817.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
For my good friend Wick, who asked the question everyone who suffers or watches other suffer asks.
“Why”
Why them? Why me? Why is God silent? Why does this have to happen to good people?
There is, of course, no good answer. Nothing that will not sound trite or overly religious. Even in the gospels, Jesus never tells us “Why”.
“It’s unfair”
Of course it is. Life is often unfair. Was it fair that one who had done absolutely nothing wrong was murdered, simply because he was who he was? Of course not. But you see, the world is broken. It has been from the start - ever since sin came into the world, we humans signed away our rights to it and handed it over to the Enemy. And he cares nothing for fairness at all.
“Why does God not intervene?”
Think carefully - are you sure you want that? Yes! You say. Ah. But look again. Every time He steps in, history changes. The world floods, children die, his son sacrifices himself. Do you truly think He enjoys that? For God to act the way we think we want Him to act would be to negate our choices, our free will, but also it changes things irrevocably. And just because He does not act in a big way does not mean He is not acting at all - who was it who brought you to comfort the friend just when they needed you to? Who was it who made sure someone had just the right words to say to you, or was there with the comfort of friendship? Did you not get up and keep going today, when you did not wish to? Perhaps he is more active than you think.
“Where was God? Why was he silent?”
I don’t know why He seems absent. But… perhaps He isn’t as far away as he seems. We are not promised a life of ease. We are, in fact, promised persecution. “Blessed are you when men persecute you”, we are told. We are promised security. We are promised comfort. Immanuel, they called Him. 'God With Us' - a promise to 'never leave you nor forsake you'. Did you know? In the Garden, as Jesus wept… he got no answer. His beloved son cried so hard he sweated blood, and yet the Father gave no answer. Why? Perhaps he was so overcome that he could not. And yet even in silence was answer enough for Jesus to get up and face his murderers with calm assurance. At the grave of Lazarus, the bible tells us, Jesus wept. The shortest verse in the Bible, and yet one with so much meaning. Why did he weep? For Lazarus? He was dead, what did he care? No. He cried for the people around him, who mourned a friend. He cried for Lazarus’ family. He cried, perhaps… for those who were yet to come, who would stand at the graves of their own friends and family. He cried, perhaps, for you.
I have no easy answers. All I can say is that perhaps He isn’t as silent as you think, perhaps He is so much closer than you know.
Jesus wept, remember. He went to the cross for you. Easter is his proof of how much he cares.
Always, he was with you through the night, and yet you never knew.
This entry was originally posted at http://bookworm-faith.dreamwidth.org/86817.html. Please comment there using OpenID.