We entered this world kicking and screaming! Why? It is because of the loss of intimacy. We were securely and intimately connected with the one person we trusted and loved; we were in a safe place, away from harm. When birth came it forced us away from that intimacy and security. We lost the “presence”; now that we are out we quickly discover that tears will be a part of our life until the very end.
Birth parallels the Fall of humanity and the resulting expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Tears were shed by Adam and Eve. Why? Because of the loss of the Presence. With the realization of good and evil came the realization of separation from the intimacy and security of God. The result was lament, crying, sorrow, and searching. The first couple is the pattern for the rest of us. Sorrow over the loss of God’s Presence and the search for that Presence is what makes us restless. St. Augustine said “Our souls are restless until they rest in You.”
Our restlessness will continue until we fully realize the Presence of God. In some sense we can enjoy His Presence today. Through the radical rescue of salvation we come into a relationship with our Creator. In another sense we don’t fully know His Presence. We are in the overlapping of the ages; we are caught between this age and the age to come. While we wait for the full realization of His Presence we mourn, longing for that full Presence.
We are like babies fresh out of the womb and in an unfamiliar and hostile environment. This is why we shed tears of loneliness, loss, frustration and failure. This is a completely normal part of our human existence. It is also an experience we share with others, so we are in good company. Job, Jeremiah, David, Paul and even Jesus mourned. The wisest man in all of history wrote,
[There is] a time to weep. (Ecclesiastes 3:4)
The danger I see today is when we try to hush people who are mourning. We must not try to quench the sorrow people feel. Yes, we should be there for them to lean on. Do you remember what Paul wrote?
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15)
When will we stop crying? We will stop our mourning when we finally enter into the unveiled glory of His Presence. This is where God wants us to be and where He meant for us to be all along.
Grace & Peace,
Scott
Birth parallels the Fall of humanity and the resulting expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Tears were shed by Adam and Eve. Why? Because of the loss of the Presence. With the realization of good and evil came the realization of separation from the intimacy and security of God. The result was lament, crying, sorrow, and searching. The first couple is the pattern for the rest of us. Sorrow over the loss of God’s Presence and the search for that Presence is what makes us restless. St. Augustine said “Our souls are restless until they rest in You.”
Our restlessness will continue until we fully realize the Presence of God. In some sense we can enjoy His Presence today. Through the radical rescue of salvation we come into a relationship with our Creator. In another sense we don’t fully know His Presence. We are in the overlapping of the ages; we are caught between this age and the age to come. While we wait for the full realization of His Presence we mourn, longing for that full Presence.
We are like babies fresh out of the womb and in an unfamiliar and hostile environment. This is why we shed tears of loneliness, loss, frustration and failure. This is a completely normal part of our human existence. It is also an experience we share with others, so we are in good company. Job, Jeremiah, David, Paul and even Jesus mourned. The wisest man in all of history wrote,
[There is] a time to weep. (Ecclesiastes 3:4)
The danger I see today is when we try to hush people who are mourning. We must not try to quench the sorrow people feel. Yes, we should be there for them to lean on. Do you remember what Paul wrote?
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15)
When will we stop crying? We will stop our mourning when we finally enter into the unveiled glory of His Presence. This is where God wants us to be and where He meant for us to be all along.
Grace & Peace,
Scott
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