Blessed are those that mourn...
I have to admit I have never been a big fan of mourning, I prefer happiness, joy, laughter, etc. but there have been some times when God has allowed me to walk through pain, loss, sorrow. I don't think I have ever mourned as much as I did when my little brother Cody passed away. He was the first one in my immediate family to pass away and it just seemed wrong. I have often wondered if Jesus felt the same way when he came face to face with the burial site of his friend Lazurus. I'm sure most of you have heard the verse (shortest verse in the Bible) "Jesus wept." I am prone to think that death, sin, seperation really hit Christ, nested in his heart for the first time. He created us to live forever and to be in relationship with himself but our sin has screwed it all up. I think that is the idea of mourning that Christ is talking about here in the beatitudes... the kind that realizes how screwed up this place is, how screwed up we are and how that leaves us hurt, in mourning. I think that it takes a great deal of discipline to mourn sin and its effects more regularly here in the U.S. I rarely take time to realize how sin realy affects me and the world I live in cuz I have too many things to keep me amused. "Amusing Ourselves to Death"... sounds like a good book title. Here's to a little more mourning... it helps us look forward to the consumation of the kingdom.
Toran
Toran
posted by Missio Dei at 7:00 PM
7 Comments:
In response to your post, I would offer this idea to the table of discussion. Have you ever been to a Catholic Mass? The reason I ask this is because there is something to be said about the absolute intense symbolism that we can see from the life of Christ, including His death and how painful and saddening that must have been. I have never been though I have been told that a Catholic Midnight Easter Vigil is a glorious and beautiful display of celebration of life, and the resurrection of Christ. There is something poetic and wonderful about the Catholic Mass and different traditions that they hold. All this is to say that I believe that Poetry is the beautiful verbal and emotional expression of words that brings the very end of extremes of life together is a perfect and beautiful harmony while keeping the distinction of each characteristic of each extreme perfectly intact. The extremes being: the darkest times of life where everything seems hopeless meaningless, evil and vile, and the most pure brilliance brightest of light where life is hopeful, joyous, wonderful, beautiful and all things that are good in the world
On another note: your right, to put it in short, things are not the way they are supposed to be, but I offer this thought. What experiences were we supposed to have. We were not meant to be in pain (I don't think) and experience sorrow. But those responses are appropriate for living in a broken world and being broken people.
In response to "We were not meant to be in pain (I don't think) and experience sorrow."
Is this implying from the start there was no pain? From the garden? Did Adam ever stub His toe? It seems like with no ability to feel pain (physically, or emotionaly) we wouldn't be human.
Another question. We know that there was no sin in the beginning right. So, is all pain derived from Sin? If not, then can we say that we were created to experince pain?
Let me rephrase. Maybe we had the ability to experience pain and sorrow in the Garden. Maybe I could go more with this; maybe there was no pain and sorrow. Maybe Adam didn't ever stub his toe. I can't say he did or didn't, but if things were perfect maybe he went through life with a heightened awareness of his life and surroundings(this is not theologically sound by the way so I can't back it up with scripture I'm just throwing something out there.) I don't believe that pain was something that was intended for humanity to experience. No one likes it and pain is pain, and it hurts. Some characteristics that don't seem to be in agreement for the kind of life Christ would have us to live. However we now live in a broken world and have to learn how to deal with that fact and the pain that comes with it. I know that doesn't fully answer your questions but maybe I can chew on those questions more and this thought and come up with something more sound later. Good thoughts by the way, I look forward to continuing the conversations.
Pain is but a mere sign that the wholness of who we are are now shattered into peices, some are more broken than others but non can exscape that reality.
I think that I am going to leave myself a name, so that no one gets confused with the anonymous postings (they have all been one person at this point) on a side note, is there anyone out there that kind of is in a state of flux when it comes to the Beatitudes? I mean they as far as I can gather have to do with more than just really feeling, looking and sounding bad about everything. I don't think that God would have us to be depressed all of the time just to inherit the kingdom of God. I think that God came to begin to "let the snow begin to melt" as Lewis might say. The kingdom is here on earth though maybe not in a fully established sense. I also don't believe that Christ came to establish a kingdom full of downcast, depression and strife. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
Brightness overcomes the shadow, but we don't want to see the faces, we feel glommed, we feel beaten downcast defeated. Why bother with anything at all, the fires glow is dimming with time and you feel content with all that is dark, and I must admit I don't feel so fine. We are lost in the woods and can not get out, we have tarried here too long, now the season has changed, the leaves on the trees have fallen to ground, and our foot steps washed out with the rain yesterday. The fires destruction are coming on this dark autumn night, but here we sit content with much poverty and fright.
The Travel Companion
travel companion
I am not sure what I think about anything we are talking about, I just am pushing back a little.
You posted "I don't believe that pain was something that was intended for humanity to experience. No one likes it and pain is pain, and it hurts. Some characteristics that don't seem to be in agreement for the kind of life Christ would have us to live."
What about growth? Was there growth in the garden? Adam realizing that when he pulled certain plants they made the garden food tastier, Adam starts to understand that eve and Him are different in some ways, Adam starts to understand that fire is hot.
God uses pain as a warning for our body. It seems like pain is used in a way for us to really learn from our mistakes. I think Adam made mistakes, he had to learn the land, His wife, and Himself. The garden was Sinless, but was it sterile without trials, pain, and growth?
Micah: I appreciate the discussion, so don't worry about pushing back. Here is a thought on your comment. Is pain a means in which people grow learn mature and develop? The answer to this has been for a long time yes. However my question is: are there other better ways in which man can grow, learn develop and mature away from the idea of pain and sorrow in this world? Have we accepted a cultural idea that pain is either the only or best way in which growth occurs, or is it an idea that was meant to be? here are some extreme examples of pain that I’m not sure I can find any good in and leads me to believe all pain is part of the fall. Is there beauty in death? Is there joy in having cancer, were we meant to loose an arm, leg, lung or finger due to various reasons. Is there any benefit from a best friend lying to you?
Another thought, is there beauty in silence? Is there darkness that joyful? Can we cry with tears of joy? Can we question the intricate workings of the universe and feel so small in the world around us?
I my belief is that life without pain and hurt and sorrow is not sterile, we just believe it would be because we can't imagine life and its extreme depth without it. But that’s just my thoughts; I would love to hear what you have to say.
The Travel Companion
The Travel Companion
I like the way you think
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