In our mourning...

Listening to the grief of someone is by far one of the most sacred moments I encounter in my life. There is something about being present with the vulnerability of someone who mourns, especially when the person is a stranger.


The question was raised, "did Jesus ever feel sadness, mourn, or feel bad about life?"


Yes, Jesus, got sad, mourned, and definitely had his moments. Jesus weeps when his friend Lazarus dies (John 11:33-36); he feels sad when he overlooks the city of Jerusalem, soon to be destroyed (Luke 19:41-44). Jesus mourns when he considers the losses that bring each of us pain. I am never ashamed of the tears that I have shed in the presence of one who is feeling pain. Why must we hide our own sharing in these moments. In my role as pastor, I sometimes feel like I'm expected to guard myself against such moments of grief.


I mourn. I grieve, and I hurt with those I journey with. There is nothing more sacred than being in those moments and allowing them to be real. Somewhere along the way, we have adapted a distorted view of pain and the expression of grief. It is through these expressions that we learn to welcome God to come in and provide consolation when our hearts ache and we feel pain.


Being with one another in these times brings us closer to the One who knows all our thoughts, our feelings, and chooses to be with us... ALWAYS...

Stay in God's grip!

​G. Todd Williams (c) 2017


(The picture is of my hand being placed within a sculpture. I found it interesting that the hands of the artist were perfectly shaped to match mine. That's the way it is with God... we are designed to walk, and BE with one another...)