As some of you may know, my grandmother passed away Monday (2/3/2025). And some of you may also know that I’m not the best at processing emotions. I tend to ignore them, and then they turn into health issues. So far, I have been in a better place than I expected, considering my grandparents nearly raised my brother and me. I’ve gone through various stages of grief, my version anyway. When I first got the call, I was washed in immense guilt: why didn’t I visit her more?
I know I am not the only one in our church experiencing the struggles of loss, expected loss, fear, anger, frustration, and all the other emotions that get wrapped up. One thing that I have been thinking about as I prepare this sermon is how can I deliver an “upbeat, charismatic, and edifying” message when I don’t feel any of those things. Because most Christian song lyrics or preachings tend to be just that. What about the ones that speak to pain, that allow people to stand in the rain and be still? To not try to immediately fix it and wash it away? What about the screaming into the night or a pillow? What about letting the tears fall without trying to blot them out? What about the BEAUTY in the BREAKDOWN? (I’ll admit that Pastor Curtis helped me with that line.)
The Bible is an amazing source for any time in your life. Yes, it speaks to hope, joy, and success. However, it also can show us instances of horrible agony. Job, David, Naomi, Jeremiah, and even Jesus experienced the sort of pain that left an imprint that has found its way to us thousands of years later. One of the most known and shortest verses in the Bible is when Jesus found out a dear friend passed away, “Jesus wept.”
Job had one of the most visceral images of grief. He lost everything. He lost his wealth, his children, his health, his reputation, his wife’s support, and even the comfort of his friends. Job 1:20 shows his reaction:
“Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.”
The term “worshiped” in this verse in Hebrew is an action to fall flat to the ground, to be prostrate. It also can mean to stoop and to beseech, ask (someone) urgently and fervently to do something, implore, entreat. Job here is essentially begging. He is pleading for God to have mercy. This is why context matters; language understanding matters! So many use this verse to say, “See! Job praised God and glorified Him even in the hardships.” Job was BEGGING! He was GROVELING with God out of desperation.
Later on, Job’s friends come to visit him. When we have loved ones visit in times of sorrow, we expect them to encourage us, to at least show sympathy. But nope, his friends come to try and blame him for his circumstances.
“Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?
Or where were the upright ever cut off?
Even as I have seen,
Those who plow iniquity
And sow trouble reap the same.”-Job 4:7-8
Eliphaz, Job’s supposed friend, argues that suffering is a direct consequence of sin, fiercely suggesting that Job, in his state of despair, must have transgressed in some profound way. This belief carries an emotional weight, as it challenges the integrity of Job’s character during his suffering.
As I stated before, sometimes we need to be able to stand in the rain and be still. To let it all fall apart. Sometimes we just need a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen. We don’t need to be put back together. There is beauty in the breakdown. God is with us amid despair. He doesn’t ask much from us in these moments. So, stand in the storm. Feel what you need to feel. It’s okay to be angry at the world, to scream into the face of it. Remember what Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.” God doesn’t abandon us or dismiss our pain. He draws closer to us in our suffering. Here at Christ’s Redemption Church, we are well acquainted with anguish. Let’s come together and stand with each other in the downpour.
Amen?
Be blessed,
Pastor Alex
