“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15)
I’ve been reflecting over the past week about how, in the life of the church, we learn to weep and rejoice at the same time. It is nearly always the case that some part of our body is experiencing great sadness while another part is filled with joy. We do not get to choose which of these we will focus on. Paul’s admonition does not contain the word “or.” We simultaneously rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.
This is one of the precious realities of being a community of faith, and it was put in sharp relief for me recently when we learned of the death of a beloved church member at the same time we anticipated the confirmation of three of our teens on Pentecost Sunday.
Many of us were heartbroken over a great loss, and we wept as we prepared for her funeral. But we did not let our grief diminish the joy we felt for three young men making their professions of faith. On Pentecost, worship was festive, celebrative, and joyous, even though many of us were feeling the sting of loss. And then, two days later, we gathered again for a service filled with tears, but many of us were still remarking about the blessing of Sunday’s worship, as well as noting how good it was to gather in faith, giving thanks to God for someone who has been a great blessing to so many. Functioning as the body of Christ, we rejoiced and wept all at once. It’s what we do.
What is true for our congregation is true for the world. Tragedy somewhere breaks hearts every day. But blessings continue to overflow. As God’s people, we lament all that is wrong and, rather than shield ourselves from the world’s sorrows with saccharine piety, we weep. But our tears do not diminish the joy that is always with us, and that causes us to note all the signs of God’s amazing grace. Because we are able to weep andrejoice, we bear witness to the compassionate presence of God at work in all circumstances. We are hope. We are love.
©2018 by J. Mark Lawson
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