Grieving, But Not Without Hope
A phrase the apostle Paul uses when he describes his ministry is an odd one. He is “sorrowful yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10). How does that work? How does a happy smile coexist with saddening tears? For Paul, they could.
This past month and half has been hard for so many of us. And it doesn’t look like there will be much relief any time soon. Strength is not saying, “We’re fine. I’m okay. Nothing is wrong.” No, we would not be strong. We would be lying. There’s been a great loss in this season. I admit, this has been a season of grieving.
There are friendships I have in Boston that I know are already on a time-clock. Quarantine has eaten a lot of that remaining time.
I had no idea the last Sunday we gathered at King’s Hill in person would be the last I’d see some people face to face.
There are long-awaited trips from family that have been postponed.
The outreach help a young church depends on for the summer and fall will likely be cancelled.
These are trivial though compared to what I know others are going through. Some have been waiting years for adoption, only for that can to be kicked down the road even longer. Some have lost jobs. Others have lost family and friends closest to them. Earlier this week, I learned that Fenway High (where our church gathers) has lost a faculty member to COVID-19 in addition to 3 students losing their parents.
Grieving is something we experience in our humanity. Jesus himself was a “man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3). It’s a natural response to loss. It’s okay to grieve. I’m also reminded though of Paul’s words: But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” (1 Thess. 4:13).
Grieving without hope is like sinking in quicksand. You become overtaken with despair. On one hand, you can try to guard yourself from the hurt by building up walls around your heart. You turn off the hurt, and as a result, grow apathetic or numb. You can try to argue and fight against the pain, ultimately growing into someone that is cynical and bitter. You can try to escape it too by turning to self-harm. How does grieving not send us into a tail-spin? Where can my feet not slip into quicksand but find solid rock it can stand on when my realities are hard?
Omni’s, the Strong and Steady Rock
During this COVID-19 trial, the omni’s of God have been what I keep coming back to.
Omnipotence | God is all-powerful. R.C. Sproul has said, “There is no maverick molecule if God is sovereign.” In Scripture, God controls every aspect of nature. He decides where lightning strikes (Job 38:35), the territorial lines of nations (Acts 17:26), the number of days for each man and woman (Job 14:5). He stirs up the waves (Jeremiah 31:5) and determines the path of the sun (Psalm 19:4-6). He tells the plant, “Grow.” And to living creatures, he says, “Go there,” and they move to and from about the earth. He tells the waves when to roar and when to come on land and when they’ve come far enough. He tells our breath “Go in” or “Come out” according to his might. He is altogether powerful. COVID-19 is not like a dog who broke free from its master’s grip and now runs loose. In the hands of an all-powerful God, COVID-19 will run whatever course God has chosen for it.
Omniscience | God is all-knowing and all-wise. In the words of A.W. Pink, “He knows everything; everything possible, everything actual; all events and all creatures, of the past, the present, and the future. He is perfectly acquainted with very detail in the life of every being in heaven, in earth, and in hell. His knowledge is perfect. He never errs, never changes, never overlooks anything.”
I feel so small watching shows like Animal Planet, because I’m introduced to a species on our planet I did not know of in a region of the world I know little about. I don’t know what I don’t even know. This is not so of God. All to be known is known by Him. But it’s more than knowledge. From before the foundation of the world, he has had a plan—to make known the spectrum of his attributes so that humanity can glory in them (Ephesians 1:11). And this plan—to the macroscopic to the microscopic details are all moving towards God’s plan being fulfilled. Every moment in history God stamps with approval saying, “Everything is working according to [my] plan.” This plan points to a God that is more than all-knowing, but all-wise.
Omnipresence | God is everywhere all the time. This means God is truly with us. In any and every event, we have a God who is “here” and not absent (Psalm 139). He has been present in the world since its creation and formation, and this will always be true. This is not to be confused with a God who is One with creation, as if the universe were part of God. No, he is totally set apart and is above and beyond all finite things that he has made. But as Creator of time and space, his presence resides over and in them.
In my grieving, these are rocks of truth. In Jesus, not only do I have someone who is familiar with my losses and has identified with me in those, but he is someone who prevailed over them, most notably, death itself. God’s plan has included me to share in this Jesus’ triumph. Yes, there is pain in the night but joy comes in the morning. In seasons of hardship and hurt, it’s often the simplest, that if believed, are the most profound. In my hurting, God is with me. In my hurting, God is in control. In my hurting, God is working for my good (even when I can’t see how). In my hurting, I know one day tears of grief will be no more. It’s okay to grieve. But I do not grieve without hope.
If you’re looking for a Boston church to call home and a community to grow with in your relationship with God, we’d love to see you visit King’s Hill.