“Jesus Wept”

Those of you who are regular readers of this blog are by now quite familiar with Malcolm Guite. I find his words and wisdom inspiring and enlightening. In the middle of this Holy Week I am quoting from Malcolm’s introduction to his sonnet Jesus Wept. The world is a heavy place at present so please pause and ponder Malcom’s words. May you find in them hope and courage for the facing of these days.

This strange Holy Week has begun in tears: tears of frustration, tears of lament, and for so many who have been cruelly bereaved, tears of grief. It’s hard to see through tears, but sometimes its the only way to see. Tears may be the turning point, the springs of renewal, and to know you have been wept for is to know that you are loved. ‘Jesus Wept’ is the shortest, sharpest, and most moving sentence in Scripture.

I have a God who weeps for me, weeps with me, understands to the depths and from the inside the rerum lachrymae, the tears of things.

This sonnet, and the others I will be posting for Holy Week are all drawn from my collection Sounding the Seasons, published by Canterbury Press here in England.

Jesus comes near and he beholds the city

And looks on us with tears in his eyes,

And wells of mercy, streams of love and pity

Flow from the fountain whence all things arise.

He loved us into life and longs to gather

And meet with his beloved face to face

How often has he called, a careful mother,

And wept for our refusals of his grace,

Wept for a world that, weary with its weeping,

Benumbed and stumbling, turns the other way,

Fatigued compassion is already sleeping

Whilst her worst nightmares stalk the light of day.

But we might waken yet, and face those fears,

If we could see ourselves through Jesus’ tears.

Prayer:
Holy God,
we are speechless
as we ponder your tears.
Merciful God,
we are speechless
as we ponder your suffering.
Loving God,
we are speechless
as we ponder your truth and resurrection.
May we find words to sing
Halleluiah.
Christ is Risen
He is Risen Indeed. Amen.