"Weep With Those Who Weep"

This Sunday, on the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, I will be preaching from John 11:32-37, which is a portion of the story of Jesus' raising of Lazarus from the dead. In it we will see find many of the same difficult questions and doubts that perhaps we dealt with ten years ago:

Was God not powerful enough to prevent it? Or did he just not care enough to bother? What kind of God is this, anyway?

As I've prepared for this sermon though, one thought has struck me more than any other. I shared it yesterday on Facebook and many seemed to appreciate it, so I thought I'd share it here as well. It was this little piece of pastoral advice:

When ministering to those in mourning, resist the urge to lead off by quoting Romans 8:28 ("And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.") Instead, try living out Romans 12:15 ("Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.")

That is in no way to dispute the truth of Romans 8:28. It is every bit as true in the face of terrible suffering as it is on the best of our days. But in the most raw and tender moments of pain, what is needed, far more than answers and explanations, is an equally tender response. It is what John 11:35 (the shortest verse of the Bible) tells us our savior offered: "Jesus wept."