Do you ever wonder why books like Job and Lamentations are in the Bible? Or how about my favorite, Psalm 64 which begins with, “Hear my voice, O Lord, as I complain!”
We often look to the sacred scriptures for inspiration, and we should. However, it is important to remember that while all of scripture is inspired, not all of scripture is “inspirational.” The Bible is an anthology of many different types of literature. There are histories, legal texts, prophetic utterances, poetry, letters, pious novels, apocalyptic visions, and books like Job and Lamentations that are what one might call “empathetic texts.”
Life is not all sweetness and roses, butterflies and rainbows. Sometimes life throws us some real harsh realities—accidents, financial uncertainty, illness, and heartache. Empathetic texts like Job are in there precisely because sometimes life is hard. When it is, we should never hesitate to bring our troubles to the Lord. Empathetic texts help us give voice to how we feel. God wants to help us in our need, but he does not come uninvited. When you read texts like Psalm 22 which begins, “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?”, they always end on a hopeful note. The last eight verses of that same psalm begins with:
“For he has not spurned or disdained
the misery of this poor wretch,
Did not turn away from me,
but heard me when I cried out.”
The ministry of Jesus in Peter’s house is a strong example of how God is with us in our need. The people in Capernaum were not immune from suffering and disease. Jesus is there for two reasons. First, by his presence he shows that even though pain and suffering are part of the human condition, God is present to us in the midst of it all. Secondly, by healing many and driving out demons, he shows that he is truly Emmanuel, God-with-us, not just when things are going well, but especially when things are tough.
Since this is true, there is no part of the life of the Christian that is separated from the love of God. This was true for the Israelites, it was true during Jesus ministry, and, through the life and sacraments of the Church, it also true today. The Eucharist is a prime example. The Mass is the ultimate “come as you are” party. It doesn’t matter if you are happy, sad, mad, or glad. Christ is truly and substantially present here. He comes to us as we are, let us make room for him as he is.