Why Lord?

“...but your grief will become joy.” John 16:20

Many things in this world grieve us. My prayer list grows longer every day. I pray for many who are very sick with cancer, two who had terrible accidents, many who are afflicted with depression and disorders, some who need livelihood, etc etc. And then how about the state the world is in, our country is in? When a relative of ours came to my dad’s wake two weeks ago, just after the elections, he said, “I’m more in mourning not for your dad who is free now, but for our country.” 

Yes, we mourn for many things. Yesterday, Luigi and I went to a wake for the parents of a good friend. His parents were murdered. It was in the news. None of us could wrap our minds around the senselessness of it all. And so I say prayers for the family who is badly in need of peace beyond understanding, overcoming grace to heal the trauma and shock and not unnaturally, anger. Please pray for them. 

Father God, why allow this? Why allow so much suffering and pain? I cannot understand just as the disciples could not understand what Jesus was telling them in John 16:16-20. “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.”

Yes the world rejoices and wallows in its sin. The murderer and thief was caught and in Camp Karingal, he was still laughing, perhaps under the influence of shabu. I see a video of a Senator rejoicing in his victory, dancing and laughing, even while so many doubts swirl about him and the whole electoral process. Why? 

“...but your grief will become joy,” Jesus promises. Just as we rejoice when a baby is born after a nine month burden and the intense pain of labor, we know there is a beautiful sunrise coming after the darkness of the night. That is God’s certain promise to us. We just need to be patient and wait for His time. We do not need to understand if we trust in His perfect love.