Yesterday our Lay Worship Leader took the theme of grief as reflected in the readings. She shared songs, quotations, readings and her own thoughts on this topic. The links are to various items shared.
Reading 1: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27
Reading 2: 2 Corinthians 8:7-15
Reading 3: Mark 5:21-43
In two out of our three readings today, and in Sinead O’Connor’s heartfelt interpretation of the Psalm, I hear grief expressed. Grief of a person feeling abandoned by God as they look around themselves at a Godless society, grief over the death of a dear, dear friend, grief of a woman rejected from her community, seen as unclean because of her severe menstrual problems, and the grief of a father whose daughter is close to death.
And when I was preparing this sermon, I kept coming back to certain readings, quotations, songs and stories that I felt I wanted to share with you, but I couldn’t quite tie them together. Yet still they were there, in my head, in my heart. And so I am going to present these to you, slightly random, I’m afraid, trusting that each will speak to someone here who is grieving in some way – maybe for a loved one lost through death, or through distance; maybe for the state of evil and hate that we see in the world; maybe because of a distance perceived between God and themselves.
I just want to say, this is nothing new. And I will not try to offer solutions. I will just say that even Jesus had that experience of God. In the midst of the agony and grief of his own death, Jesus screamed, “God, why have you abandoned me?” Almost every one of you who has experienced deep grief will know something of that feeling. It’s not often talked about because not only is ours a nation that tends to repress grief, but there is a toxic myth among many Christians that you are not allowed to express doubts about God or anger at God. But I know I’m not the only one who finds Jesus’ cry resonating with things deep inside of me.
So I offer to you…
First, a quotation from CS Lewis as he reflected in his journal written at the time of the loss of his wife, Joy, to cancer, that often in the midst of grief, God seems to be silent, or completely absent. Go to God, he said, “when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that, silence.”
I have experienced that silence myself, when it appears God couldn’t care less about my pain, my grief, my prayers. Who, among us, when faced with similar grief and desolation can say “it is well with my soul”? I know I can’t. It is so very difficult to trust that despite the seemingly deafening silence, God has a plan, that we know God is good, that we are held in his hands.
In this story telling performance from Christmas 4 years ago tells the story of a man who was faced with the desolation of losing his four daughters. It is a narrative of how in trusting God, he was able to write a hymn which affirmed that despite everything “it is well with my soul”. We’re not going to sing the hymn – it is very long! - but you can find it in Mission Praise number 757, should you wish to read the words.
HUGH BONNEVILLE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReApJymYSiw
I am sure that Horatio Spafford, the author of the hymn, felt God’s silence. He felt abandoned, as Christ did. But despite this, he continued to hang on to the belief that, as Hugh Bonneville said, because of Christ - and through his example-- the human spirit can rise above tragedy. Whenever-- however-- we suffer our own night of sorrow, God's love does shine in the darkness. Hope can heal the wounded soul, and Christ’ work of giving-- of loving-- serving-- and of rescuing is ours if we choose to make it so
But this is so HARD. We look around us and we see war, we see hatred, poverty, indifference to the plight of others, intolerance, murder of innocents because of their faith, their colour, their gender, or just well, just because…. Let’s be honest, we look around the world and we see evil.
And did God create evil? What do we say to people who ask us this question: if your God is so good, then why is there so much evil in the world?
Here is one possible answer…
A professor at the university asked his students the following question:- Everything that exists was created by God?
One student bravely answered:- Yes, created by God.
- Did God create everything? the professor asked.
“Yes, sir,” replied the student.
The professor then said- If God created everything, then God created evil, since it exists. And according to the principle that our deeds define ourselves, then God is evil.
The student became silent after hearing such an answer. The professor was very pleased with himself. He boasted to students for proving once again that faith in God is a myth
Another student raised his hand and said:- Can I ask you a question, professor?
"Of course," replied the professor.
He got up and asked:- "Professor, is cold a thing?"
- What kind of question? Of course, it exists. Have you ever been cold?
Students laughed at the young man's question.
The young man answered:- Actually, sir, cold doesn't exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is actually the absence of heat. A person or object can be studied on whether it has or transmits energy.Absolute zero (-460 degrees Fahrenheit) is a complete absence of heat. All matter becomes inert and unable to react at this temperature. Cold does not exist. We created this word to describe what we feel in the absence of heat.
A student continued:- Professor, does darkness exist?
Of course, it exists.
- You're wrong again, sir. Darkness also does not exist. Darkness is actually the absence of light. We can study the light but not the darkness. We can use Newton's prism to spread white light across multiple colours and explore the different wavelengths of each colour. You can't measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into the world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you tell how dark a certain space is? You measure how much light is presented. Isn't it so? Darkness is a term man uses to describe what happens in the absence of light.
Finally, the young man asked the professor:- Sir, does evil exist?
This time it was uncertain, the professor answered:- Of course, as I said before. We see him every day. Cruelty, numerous crimes and violence throughout the world. These examples are nothing but a manifestation of evil.
To this, the student answered:DID GOD CREATE EVIL?- Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist for itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is like darkness and cold—a man-made word to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not faith or love, which exist as light and warmth. Evil is the result of the absence of Divine love in the human heart. It’s the kind of cold that comes when there is no heat, or the kind of darkness that comes when there’s no light.
Let’s be honest, this event probably never happened, and scientifically speaking, I think that student was on shaky ground, about whether darkness and cold actually exist, but I’m not going to focus on that. What is the case is that this parable is telling us that evil is manifested as the absence of God – it is where the light, the warmth, the love of God has not reached. When human hearts are stony cold then God is not there. When humans live in the darkness of injustice and oppression then God is not there. And terrible things are done – and sometimes (may God forgive us) those terrible things are done in the name of God.
So what does this mean? Perhaps Sinead O’Connor was answering the question when she sang Is there anything my little heart can do To help religion share us with you?
In the reading from 2 Corinthians Paul speaks of poverty and of injustice in the world before calling on his readers to do something about the situation. He is asking us to share our hearts, to recognise the part we have to play.
WE are to bring the light. We are to bring the warmth. We are to be God’s people in a world of Godlessness. Because it’s when we are being that light that the absence of God that manifests itself as evil begins to disappear.
We’re going to sing the Easter song Now the green blade rises to remind ourselves that in dying, and rising again, Christ conquered death. He brought light to the world. He is the Light of the World
I don’t know if these random bits and pieces hang together for you in any discernible order, whether they have spoken to your heart or not, but I truly felt led to share them with you. I pray that they may have blessed you in some way.
I would like to finish my ramblings with something written by Cardinal Newman
God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.He has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments.Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me. Still, He knows what He is about.”
May we go now in peace
In our lamentations, may we be blessed
In our tears, may We find consolation
In our yearnings, may we know acceptance
In our questions, may we have renewed hope.
And all, and always, in the presence of a loving God,
in the companionship of the Incarnate Christ,
and in the lasting embrace of the Spirit's comfort.Amen.
Comments