“Happy are those who mourn.”
That sentence doesn’t make sense, does it? How can you be happy if you are grieving? How do you find joy when you’re suffering from loss? Happiness and grief-they don’t usually go together.
But Jesus put them together when he described his people. He said that in his kingdom,
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:14
Last week we discussed these words in our Sunday night group that meets at our house. We talked about how difficult it is to grasp the words of Jesus. They’re counter-cultural, like so many ways in God’s kingdom–the first are last, you give up your life to save it, you become a servant if you want to be great.
You’re happy when you mourn?
The day following our discussion, I travelled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to visit my Dad. I’m sure you’ve heard about the “1000 year flood” that blanketed the city with loss last month. The murky flood waters stole away memories, comfort and security from homes never touched by floods before. And the flood came on the heels of the police shootings only a few weeks earlier. I flew into a city of mourning. They’ve suffered great loss—more than I can grasp.
But Wednesday night, I was invited to join a ladies class who was meeting for the first time since all the tragedies hit the city. They spent the hour telling their stories.
Yes, they talked about their losses—more than 40 families in this single congregation had water in their homes. If you weren’t a flood victim, you knew one. They recounted rescues, relocation and the slow restoration. They talked about the smells, stress and sore muscles.
But they also talked about their joy. They were actually happy. Woven in their stories of loss, were God’s stories of comfort. They told about kingdom people showing up to help—from next door to neighboring states. They were moved by how many people across the nation sent aid. (Go to their website here if you’d like to help too.) They recounted ways that God provided—whether it was a hug in the grocery store, a dry place to stay or a warm meal when they forgot to eat. And they find comfort knowing their true treasure is in heaven, where neither moth, rust–or flood–can destroy.
Jesus was right, of course. In his kingdom, “Happy are those who mourn…” He didn’t say that his people wouldn’t mourn. His people suffer too. And I’m not saying that the Baton Rouge women who told their stories aren’t grieving. They’ve suffered great loss.
But these women really are blessed—happy–in their grief. They are finding comfort and strength from God and from his people. They still have so much to figure out in their rebuilding. It’s slow. It’s painful. But they are blessed. And they are blessing others.
Thanks, South Baton Rouge family, for giving me a glimpse of kingdom living that Jesus described! Your stories encourage me to keep living in God’s story.
It’s counter-cultural. It doesn’t always make sense.
But God’s kingdom is a happy place to be. Even in grief.
“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.” Matthew 5:4 – The Message
