Jesus Wept

Presbyterian poet Ann Weems paints a beautiful picture of redemption with her poetry. She writes out of an experience of significant loss in her own life, and her work touches the deep places of heartache, faith, and hope. She draws heavily on the scriptures. I share with you now a few verses from her book, the Psalms of Lament.

“In the quiet times this image comes to me: Jesus weeping.

Jesus wept, and in his weeping he joined himself forever to those who mourn.

‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.’

Someday. Someday God will wipe the tears from Rachael’s eyes.

In the godforsaken, obscene quicksand of life,

there is a deafening alleluia rising from the souls of those who weep,

and of those who weep with those who weep.

If you watch, you will see the hand of God putting the stars back in their skies one by one.”

Let us pray:  Sometimes it feels as though life is falling apart, O God. We don’t always understand why things happen the way they do. But we have to trust that you are good. We have to trust that you are present in our pain and suffering. And we have to trust that you are already at work to heal and make whole again.

We pray today especially for those who have recently lost a loved one, and for all those who mourn a loss in life. May your peace which passes all understanding rest gently on each of them, and on each of us today. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.