The Gift of Tears

“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it…” (Luke 19: 41)

Jesus has risen indeed! Now what do we do? Let the tears flow…..

The Church of the Tears is a chapel, also known as Dominus Flevit, above the Garden of Gethsemane on the western slope of the Mount of Olives. Constructed in 1954, the church is in the shape of a tear drop to symbolize the Lord's tears. Large water jugs stand tall at the top of the four corners of the church to signify catching the tears that God still weeps for Jerusalem today.

This little Franciscan chapel is believed to mark the place where Jesus mourned over Jerusalem. Inside the view of Jerusalem looking through the main clear glass and wrought iron window is breathtaking! Outside there is a tree of thorns in remembrance of the crown made for Christ in his crucifixion.

The shortest verse in the Bible is, “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35) But sometimes I feel silly when I tear up at commercials that show a child growing up, an abused animal in a shelter, or a lonely depressed person dealing with heartache. Yet, that is how God created us – to feel for others and empathize with the sorrows of our brothers and sisters. It is a gift to shed tears. By weeping Jesus Christ demonstrates how to deeply care for others.

Theologian and physicist, Rene Descartes, believed that the more loving people are, the more prone to tears. In his book, The Passions of the Soul, first published in 1649, he believes crying is a healthy way to release tension as well. I agree with Descartes. When someone apologizes for weeping, I typically reply that there is no shame in tears because they help to prevent ulcers!

Live as Jesus lived - with love and compassion for all. Do not become numb to the sad news of catastrophes around the world. Keep your faith and trust in God while sorting through the ways you can be the hands and feet of Christ to help ease the pain in your part of our troubled world. Pray for the world and let your tears flow for the victims of oppression and injustice. When the weeping stops we have lost hope and empathy for God’s creation.

For more detail on the Church of the Tears see: http://www.sacreddestinations.com/israel/jerusalem-dominus-flevit-church.htm