As we head into the warm, lazy days of summer, planning or at least dreaming of a vacation or looking forward to a little slower pace for a few weeks, there is a grief – sharp for some, lingering for many – at what we have lost. Whether our loss is personal or just a nagging sense of foreboding at the state of things, most would agree that we live in troubling times and are experiencing some level of grief at the loss of a perceived time of greater peace, stability and community.
To this point, our CCC family seems to have encountered more than our share of grief lately, as many in our congregation are battling serious illnesses, relational challenges, loss of jobs and, most devastatingly, the death of several of our brothers in the Lord. While the days are longer and the sun is high and hot, more than a few of us are struggling to keep our heavy hearts from growing cold with grief.
Whether we are actively grieving or simply battling a general sense of malaise, we shouldn't be surprised. Not only should we not be surprised by the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” as Shakespeare referred to life's persistent heartaches and shocks, but a moments reflection will remind us that most of us in the modern West are significantly shielded from the wretchedness of daily life experienced by countless millions in the world today and what the majority of people have experienced throughout history. Nonetheless, we still suffer.