Grieving with Hope

I woke up sad this morning. Along with my neighbors, I grieve the brutal death of a man who was trying to defend his country. I contemplated the tragedy of the situation and opening Scripture, truth rang clear: “There is no darkness, no deep darkness, where evildoers can hide themselves” (Job 34:22). Oh, Jesus, let this evil be exposed.

As I walked through my day, I realized that the weight of my own heart was just a sliver of the weight on the hearts and souls around me. Surely, I “do not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thes 4:13). My hope is firm, my eternity is secure, my salvation is sealed. Those around me grieve with no hope. No hope for lasting peace, no hope for secure salvation.

Culture dictates that emotions should be set aside. On an average day, looking at the faces of any typical passer-by I see a solemn, almost stern countenance. But when I see a friend as I’m walking up to my language school, the somber countenance turns to a warm smile as they extend the beautiful greeting in Arabic: “Sbah al-kheir.” Morning of goodness. I respond with: “Sbah al-noor.” Morning of light. We exchange smiles and greetings as we step into the elevator, “How are you? What’s your news? How is your health?”

But today was different. My smile and sbah al-keir was returned by a respectful, but silent and sober nod. Then I remembered the weight that was on my heart. I made a mental note to change my countenance to match that of those around me.

Crying in public is rare, embarrassing, and shameful. But today I saw a man on the verge of tears as he shared from his heart about the situation, voice trembling. I saw a girl make every effort to conceal the tears she had shed in front of her co-workers. This show of emotion was a clear sign of the raw pain that those around me are experiencing.

It’s in times like these that I think, God, what is Your purpose in this? I relate with Psalmist, crying out that He would simply smite the wicked. And I believe that in His time, He will: “Therefore, He recognizes their deeds and overthrows them by night, and they are crushed. In full view of the public, He strikes them for their wickedness, because they turned aside from following Him and did not understand any of His ways but caused the poor to cry out to Him, and He heard the outcry of the afflicted” (Job 34:24-28).

Yet, we are waiting for His judgment. And He seems silent.

“But when God is silent, who can declare Him guilty? When He hides His face, who can see Him?” (34:29).

Does He not see the innocent who are dying?
Does He not see those who are trapped by religious ideologies?

“Yet He watches over both individuals and nations, so that godless men should not rule or ensnare the people” (34:29-30).

He does see. He does watch. He will bring freedom to the captives – both those who are held physically captive by an army and those who are held spiritually captive by the enemy of their souls.

Grieve with us. Let your heart be broken for the brutality of men who have declared themselves the rulers. Let your broken heart draw you to the cross where you look up and see Jesus, who took upon Himself the wrath of God for the sin of man – from the most cruel, horrifying acts to the seemly smallest acts of disobedience – and remember grace. Let grace draw you to intercession for the innocent and for the cruel. Pray for this nation, pray for this region, and pray for us as we grieve with our neighbors and reach out with eternal hope.