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Thursday, January 28, 2016

Wisdom in Silence

I've been reading the book of Job lately and I can only scratch my head in wonder at the marvelous timelessness of its message.  We moderns pride ourselves on our scientific and technological advances, but the human heart hasn't changed all that much since the dawn of time.  With all of our so-called wisdom, I still find that these ancient books are still relevant today.  Ecclesiastes explores the meaning of life.  The Psalms records despair, hope, joy, triumph, faith, anger and most of the feelings peculiar to a human soul.  Proverbs has more wisdom than most can acquire in a lifetime.  Song of Songs explores romantic love.  But in my present season of life, I find that I relate best to Job.

Job's struggle to reconcile suffering with a good and loving God is something to which most people can relate.  His friends' complete inability to comprehend his predicament, and their insulting assumption that some secret sin is the root of all his present evils and that everything would suddenly be all right if only he'd admit it, is a frustration many a grieving heart has known all too well.  Not that our nearest and dearest, well meaning though they be, necessarily accuse us of secret sins but rather the things people say (or don't) when we are struck by some grievous tragedy can drive you to distraction.  At the end of the book, God appears and chews out Job's arrogant friends, telling them they haven't a clue what they are talking about, and as Job formerly stated, 'it would be wisdom for you to remain silent.'

We don't have all the answers, the pain is not going to go away just by thinking it should, there is not necessarily a reason for things, it isn't necessarily 'better' this way…you know all the platitudes and one-liners people say at funerals, when you are having health issues or lose your job or…whatever.  Job's friends sat with him in silence for a whole week, it was only when they opened their mouths that they got into trouble and made their friend's misery worse.  Mortals donning the cloak of omniscience is a great way to inflict more pain on those you intend to help and make yourself look foolish in the process.  Yes, you probably mean well, but often, if you don't have all the answers, and in a tragedy you don't, just let the person know you are there for them.  Don't get philosophical and muse on meaning or what good might come of it or why it's better like that, just let them grieve as they must.  Time is the only thing that will ease their grief and perhaps answer the what ifs.

Job does however give us this comfort: despite what happens to us, despite how others make us feel, God sees our suffering, He has suffered Himself, He knows what it is to hurt, to ache, to be tired, to die, to be alone, to be human.  And He has promised that in the End, everything will be better than Okay.  That doesn't mean whatever went wrong will suddenly be right or that bad things won't happen, but rather we are not alone, we are not misunderstood, He has seen the end and knows all through which we must muddle.  Suffering and sorrow are a part of our broken world, but we need not suffer alone.  Job cried out for a Redeemer in the midst of his grief, and some thousands of years later, He came.    And when He comes again, the story will finally make sense and all the tragedy and grief with which this world is fraught will not even be a memory.  So amid your tears and pain, hold fast to that thought, no matter how dark the night, we have been promised Joy in the morning.

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