For years now, I have thought that the most important question regarding suffering is, "Why would a good God would let us suffer?" In many ways there are millions of answers to that question and no good ones. I am now convinced, however, that the most important question is, "Does He care?"
In Herman Melville's often mocked tale, Moby Dick, Captain Ahab is consumed by a desire to destroy the white whale, even if it means that he will lose everything in the process (spoiler alert! he does). The whale symbolizes God in its omnipresence and sheer power and was used as a way for Melville to air out his quarrels with the Almighty. Ahab hates God for one reason more than the rest: the fact that we here on earth must suffer and God does not even have to answer for it.
Can I just stop for a moment here and say that I love Moby Dick and that I think it is one of the most important pieces of American literature? I love it for its passion and its thinking. I love it for not covering up a tough subject that is crucial to our human experience with a pat on the head and a Sunday school answer. I do, however, have one revision. At the end of it all when the Leviathan (cool Melville word for whale) has taken down the ship and is about to crush Ahab once and for all, he rises dramatically out of the water. Ahab shouts curses at the beast and readies his harpoon only to see that amidst the brine and chaos that the whale is no longer advancing. As the water drips off of its body from around its eye, Ahab begins to see that not just water pours forth into the sea, but tears. The whale weeps for Ahab's pain. Ahab hops on Moby Dick's back and they swim off happily ever after.
In the book of John, Jesus is given news of his friend Lazarus' sickness, but strangely enough he does not rush to his side. After a couple of days, he tells his disciples that Lazarus has fallen asleep but that he is going there to wake him. The disciples are confused, so Jesus, in typical Jesus form, spells it out for them. "Lazarus is dead." When they reach the town, Mary comes to see Jesus and tells him that if only he had come a few days earlier, her brother Lazarus would still be alive. Just imagine the emotions involved here. Mary has seen Jesus do some amazing things and he obviously has a special connection with the family. She looks him in the eye and accuses him of not acting quickly enough. She blames him for her suffering.
Before we get to what Jesus did do, let's meditate for a moment on what he did not do.
He did not chastise her for a lack of faith.
He did not say "my ways are not your ways."
He did not tell her to wait a moment while he went and raised him from the dead.
He did not look down on her as a child for her lack of understanding.
In a genius move by the people who broke the Bible into verses, we are given the shortest and one of the most potent verses.
"Jesus wept."
He could have stopped it before Lazarus died and he knew he was on his way to bring him back to life, but still Jesus wept. He knew this story would be recorded in the scripture to be read for thousands of years, but still Jesus wept. He exists outside of time and knew that Lazarus was in a better place already, but still Jesus wept. He created billions of people that He loves and Lazarus was just one of them, but still Jesus wept. He knew that he was about to endure a much worse death for sinners like Lazarus, but still Jesus wept.
I can't help but imagine that when your grandmother dies or a tsunami strikes Japan, Jesus looks down on us with love and weeps with us. What does it mean to have a God who weeps for you when you suffer? I will take that God over a God who hides suffering from me any day.
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