Triple C News - February 10

Hey, everyone,

With the sun shining so brightly and even daffodils peeking through, it seems that the joys of “almost-spring” would be blooming as well. Yet, with so much heartbreak and hurt and grief that we have seen and felt and prayed for this week…

In our cheerful corner of the world, where all is hopeful and bright, we can’t “unsee” or “unknow” sights we’ve seen and know in Turkey and Syria…that in frigid temps, desperate hearts are desperately searching for some news of those they love and hope they haven’t yet lost. 

And it’s been almost one year of bombings and battles in Ukraine, where the homeless and sheltering are waking up to below 20 degrees today. 

How can we enjoy our joy, knowing that hearts are broken everywhere?

Jesus really, really wept with the sorrowing and yet was also filled with joy! In the same heart in the same days! (John 11.35; 15.11; 17.13) 

How did He do this? How does He do this today? 

He knows every joy and every sadness, every kindness and also every cruelty, every chuckle and also every tear around the world every day. How does the sadness not smother the gladness?

So I found a verse that helped me.

In John 11, Jesus wept. Because His friend, who was the brother of two sisters who were also His friends, was dead. And two women were added to the global community of the brokenhearted. At the opening verse of the story we’re told that their names were Martha and Mary. In the second verse we are told this: 

“This Mary…was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.” (John 11.2)

If you had been reading the Gospel of St John, you wouldn’t have yet read about this incident. 

When did she do this? 

She did it in the next chapter. In John chapter 12.

After weeping with two grieving sisters, Jesus would bring their brother back to life and back into our world and Mary, overflowing with joy, would pour out her love for Jesus in this generous gift. 

As John 11 opened, Jesus already knew where this coming sorrow would lead and what future gladness would come from present sadness. 

Maybe that’s how He can be filled with sorrow with the sorrowing and with joy with the rejoicing at the same time. 

Not only is He everywhere; He is also “everywhen”. 

He lives in the present and in the future all at the same “time”. He is outside of time and reigns over and throughout time.

And He already knows what good will come from all things He is working together (Romans 8:28)

And He already knows when He will give “beauty from the ashes” (Isaiah 61:3)…

And when sorrow for a moment becomes “joy lasting a lifetime”…

And when a night-time of weeping will become “rejoicing in the morning”. (Psalm 30:5)

Because He is everywhere.

And He is “everywhen”.