Yesterday I shared the story of a young man, addicted to drugs, who found himself weeping on a city street. It became the turning point of his life.

Amy, who heard the story from him, said it was hard to picture. He's a big guy. Looks kind of tough.

A lot of us were taught that tears are a sign of weakness. Maybe even a lack of faith. Big boys don't cry. Keep your chin up. Be strong.

But the Bible is full of tears.

Abraham wept. Hagar wept. Joseph wept. Hannah wept. Jonathan and David wept. Jeremiah wept. By the rivers of Babylon, the people of Israel sat down and wept. Peter wept. Mary wept. Paul wept, and was wept over.

And Jesus wept.

These aren't people whose faith failed them. These are the people of faith. Tears aren't the opposite of faith. They're part of it.

Great American writer Frederick Buechner once made the claim that tears are essential guides. He wrote, “Whenever you find tears in your eyes, it is well to pay the closest attention. They are not only telling you something about the secret of who you are, but more often than not, God is speaking to you through them of the mystery of where you have come from, and is summoning you to where, if your soul is to be saved, you should go next.”

May you come to see whether you find yourself weeping for yourselves or for others, our tears are a gift. But we don’t grieve as those who are without hope. We weep as those who trust that our tears are seeds of hope. And we weep as those who know the God who brings life out of death, and who has promised to make all things new. 

Prayer: God of grace, you know every tear we shed. When we weep, hold us close. When others weep, give us the courage to weep with them. And through it all, fill us with the hope of your promise to make all things new. Amen.

‍