bright sadness
Our hearts are broken for our brothers and sisters in Japan. Even the mere idea of more than ten thousand lost - perhaps many more - is too much to bear. The terrifying footage, the unspeakable sorrow...
Facing such tragedies, Christians can do at least three things. May God grant us the grace to do them well.
First, we can deny easy answers. In suffering and disaster we confront great mysteries, and the mysteries demand to be honored. We cannot say, "God willed this," and we can respectfully, strongly object to those who do. But at the same time, by the same token, we cannot simply say, "This happened against or despite God's will," thereby conjuring up a world full of chaos against which God is powerless or indifferent. Either way, we claim to know too much, and we are in no position to make such pronouncements. We are in a position to pray.
And so second, we can pray. We can pray prayers of solidarity, standing as best we can with the suffering and displaced, the living and the dead. We can pray not only with our words but also with our wallets, our time, and our talent. We can reach out across the Pacific and around the block to all those affected, near and far. We can act, touch, listen - and lend a hand.
Third, we can lament. We can join our voices with the brokenhearted singer of the Psalms, asking those passionate, difficult, ancient questions that ring down through the ages: “How long?” and “Why?” Anger and sorrow have a place in our lives and therefore in our prayers, and denying easy answers sometimes means persistently pressing the unanswered questions.
We stand today at the outset of the season of Lent, and sure enough, there is so much that needs to be done. People that need to be fed, wars that need to end, bodies that need to be protected, homes that need to be found. Dictators that need to fall, nuclear materials that need to be contained, whole cities that need to be salvaged and rebuilt...
It's enough to overwhelm us, too much, too much. It’s enough to send us back to Ash Wednesday, to cover ourselves in dust and ashes, the very debris of death.
And yet, think of this: the Eastern Orthodox Church calls Lent the season of "bright sadness." That sounds just about right, doesn't it? We are called to be a light to the nations, to let our light shine – but not in a way that stands apart from the world’s sorrows. On the contrary, we are called to shine in a way that illuminates those sorrows, and that stands with the sorrowful in their grief and their hope.
This is who we are: people of bright sadness. Each of us called to deny easy answers, and pray, and lament, and shine until the shadows become like the noonday sun.
Our hearts are broken. There’s nothing easy here. Let us pray.
+++++
Holy and beautiful God, you created this soft, green earth, and you called it good. You made the oceans depths and the soaring mountains. For your earth and for your people: Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.
God of wind and rain, God who said to the waves, "Peace - be still," we cry and beat our breasts with all those who are grieving. How long will the living search for the lost? How long will the poor and vulnerable suffer? How long will parents bury their children?
God of grief and anger, this is what we know: Even in the valley of the shadow of death, still we are held, still we are loved, still we are brought back to life, rocked so sweetly in your everlasting arms. God of hope against hope, we call on you, we depend on you. Deepen and brighten our sadness.
God of love and new life, for your earth and for all of your people, living and dead, lost and found: Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy. You are our refuge and strength. You are our very present help in times of trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea. Be with us now. Have mercy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
+++++
Thanks to Japanese artist Hokusai for his timeless woodblock print, The Great Wave.
grief, japanese tsunami, lament, theology of suffering | in everyday spirituality, lent, prayer, scripture, service Permalink
Reader Comments (11)
amen...
is there some way we can get this to mourners and encouragers in japan? i have this overwhelming and tear-filled sense, something that reminds me of those cards amnesty international used to send out with their direct mailings, asking strangers- us- to sign them to be delivered to prisoners of consciousness. they read, simply, "you are not forgotten". i used to sign every single one i received and cry and cry and cry imagining being the recipient of one. i want the hurt and lonely and destroyed yet strong, triumphant and surviving japanese people to know our hearts are literally beating with theirs. amen. -robyn
Let it be, Lord. Let it be. Thank you and may the Lord bless you and keep you in His care.
I'm a big fan of prayer, but I think this post is remiss is not mentioning the importance of taking concrete steps to help the people, and especially the children of Japan. You should be encouraging your readers to donate to the organization of their choice, including the Red Cross and Save the Children.
Thanks for this beautiful response. I appreciate the encouragement to not jump to quick or easy conclusions. As you said, when we do that we presume to know too much. I am planning to share this with some loved ones living overseas in Japan in the hopes that it will provide a helpful model for Christians trying to figure out both how to make sense of tragedy and how to respond as disciples.
CN, I think the SALT team would totally agree with your encouragement to donate in support of relief efforts. In fact, they say as much in the fourth paragraph: "We can pray not only with our words but also with our wallets, our time, and our talent. We can reach out across the Pacific and around the block to all those affected, near and far. We can act, touch, listen - and lend a hand." I think this is a really neat insight into an expanded understanding of prayer, that we are called not only to pray with our minds and our lips, but with our bodies, our resources, our whole selves. It starts with prayers of solidarity and flows from there.
Thank you all for these wonderful comments. We are beside ourselves with grief, and doing all we can to pray, give, lament, and hope. It's a blessing to be able to do it in community. Thanks.
Robyn, we think your "you are not forgotten" idea is absolutely terrific, and we're trying to envision what it might look like in practice...
Thank you for the lovely prayer. We will be using it this Sunday to open our worship service.
Lovely post. I particularly like the phrase "bright sadness".
Robyn, I'm reminded of the 1,000 folded paper cranes associated with the story of Sadako Sasaki, about whom I write a poem that is in my debut collection. Sasaki died from atom bomb disease. She began folding paper cranes, a sacred symbol in Japan, for her health but after realizing she would not get better decided she would fold 1,000 cranes in the name of peace for the world. She folded 644, her friends the remainder. Perhaps your idea, Robyn, could be realized in an online effort to fold paper cranes in honor of the Japanese people. The cranes could be collected from any contributor (who could write a message on his or hers) and shipped via the appropriate organization to Japan or made into an installation and exhibited online.
maureen, what a brilliant idea- concrete, spiritual, alive. i told my five year old daughter about it at dinner, and she wants to help! i am thinking on the details now. thank you thank you thank you... g-d bless. with love, -robyn
Robyn and Maureen -- you might be interested in these organizations that are making cranes for Japan. Go to:
http://studentsrebuild.org/japan/
Students Rebuild is an initiative of the Bezos Family Foundation that activates our greatest creative resource—young people—to catalyze change on critical issues. Learn more about Students Rebuild [link: www.studentsrebuild.org/about] and the Bezos Family Foundation [link: http://www.bezosfamilyfoundation.org].
DoSomething.org is one of the largest organizations in the U.S. that helps young people rock causes they care about. A driving force in creating a culture of volunteerism, DoSomething.org is on track to activate two million young people in 2011. Plug in at www.DoSomething.org.
That was one of the most horrible disasters ever. I prayed for Japan and Japan people.
I know they are strong people to cope with this tragedy!