John 11:35

Jesus wept.

Jesus wept

even knowing

that Lazarus

would rise again.

He wept.

He wept

with Mary

and with Martha.

He entered into—

He walked into—

He dove into—

their pain and shared

with them their grief

and now His.

He wept.

He wept

because He loved.

He grieved,

because in order

to grieve, you must

first love.

You cannot mourn

if you have never loved.

Lord, I weep.

I grieve for

friends and family

and all things lost.

And, as of late, Lord,

I weep for this world.

I weep for those who have lost—

everything.

I weep for those driven into

the ground by knee, by foot, by hate.

I weep for those who somehow don’t know

any better and wear ignorance like a badge.

I weep for those who have carried

their burden for so long, they have been

forced to their knees and told to crawl.

I weep for Your children, Lord.

I weep for my brothers and sisters

because I don’t know how to take

away their pain.  I only know how to pray.

I weep for the world, Lord,

and I know You weep with me,

because I know we both love this world,

and I know that like Lazarus,

this world will rise again,

but until then, I weep and I pray.

Amen.