Blessed are Those who Mourn

Blessed are those who mourn… (Matthew 5:6)

Today we ask the question, why are those who mourn blessed? How are they blessed? Why does Jesus single out those who have faced loss and sorry and suffering? Today, we listen in to an old theologian who wrote a little book (Lament for a Son) about his doubts and sadness and reflections after his 25 year old son died in a tragic climbing accident. Listen in to how God might speak to you today.

It is said of God that no one can behold his face and live. I always thought this meant that no one could see his splendor and live. A friend said perhaps it meant that no one could see his sorrow and live. Or perhaps his sorrow is his splendor…

Made in the image of God: that is how the biblical authors describe us…Authentic life is to image God ever more closely…[But] in what respects do we mirror God? In our knowledge. In our love. In our justice. In our sociality. In our creativity. These are the answers the Christian tradition offers us. One answer rarely finds its way onto the list: in our suffering. Perhaps the thought is too appalling. Do we also mirror God in suffering?

Nicholas Wolterstorff, Lament for a Son