Friday, July 08, 2016

IS IT OKAY TO BE SAD?

America awakened in shock.  The feeling is that the reverberation will be more so. Emotions run in protest against some of the known and lots of unknown.  Anger drives some.  Disappointment others.  Sadness reigns.

Is it okay to be sad when we believe in God; I mean really believe in God?  Is it okay to experience being bummed over the tragedy and heartbreak that unfolds news bulletin by news bulletin?  Yes.  As a matter of fact we would be blessed as a nation if we did more of it.

Blessed are those who mourn was in the preamble of Jesus' public ministry as he spoke from lawn's podium.  Our struggle isn't that we are a nation who might mourn. Our real struggle is to live in a society which doesn't.  Mourning is heaped with hearts of love and compassion.  The indifferent don't mourn.  The selfish don't either.  And you might need to note that I don't regard the indifferent or the selfish as a they matter; but rather a we issue.

I'm not only mourning the loss and devastation smattering our nation, I'm sad that I want to fix it and yet my mind is useless mush.  Blessed are we as we mourn for God is running the system.  Our first call is to care.  This carries great challenge.  Will we care only for the victims (as seems immediately natural) or shall we have sympathy also for the creators of such havoc (as would be from the spiritual).

Sympathy?  This is the very turf that Christianity needs to flex its muscle.  Do we not realize that even the enemy was neglected, mistreated, forgotten along the way?  This present day conflict isn't about race.  Rather this is about the absence of love and joy and peace and patience toward our neighbor.  Today's demise is a deeply spiritual matter; not a fleshly contest of who's right and who's wrong.

One mourns from the spirit.  And yes, it is most appropriate to be sad.  Such is a kingdom quality which keeps the heart open to social opportunity that we might be spurred on to wage war from our crosses; not from our bully pulpits....or coffee shop chatter.

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