If I Were Preaching Today--This is What I Might Have Said: "Why?" The Fourth Word

photo by Maja Ruszpel / flikr

"Even bein' God ain't no bed o' roses."
--The Green Pastures

Thomas Mann used to say of great literature:  “It is, it always is, however much we say it was.” And when Jesus whispered this fourth word from the cross we know, don’t we, that what the nailed-down Jesus said it is as current today as any word our Lord ever spoke. The church remembered this word which stands at midpoint of the seven last words. Those standing by must have put their hands over their mouths as they heard it. “My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me.” No. No. No.

And with hands over our mouths we have heard it again and again. When we looked up at the Vietnam Memorial and those fifty thousand names of our dead warriors we asked it. “My God why?” When President was shot we asked it yet again. “My God, why?” But this terrible word piles up against it all—not then but now. Nine Eleven. All those shootings from Sandy Hook until now. Anger. Suicide. Depression. Abuse. Heartbreak that comes in all shapes and sizes. No wonder we put our hands over our mouths because we know well this word of identification. And today all over the world people ask this question:”Why, God?” But not just over there but here too. This cursed virus that has shut down almost everything. Jobs. Schools. Empty grocery shelves. But long lines standing to be tested. And those grievers weeping as they bury their dead alone. We are scared to touch or leave the house or wonder what the future holds and how long this will last. 

Those standing near the cross must have wondered—Is it all over? This Jesus. His words. His miracles. His care for everyone from the old and the crippled to the little ones and even the whores and the criminals—even the racists? 

So here we are together even when we are locked in our houses or wearing masks or being tested. We are all one. We are all in this together. This family—mostly dysfunctional that brings us all in. “My God…”

It was as prayer to Almighty God. And it remains. “Why?”

And the church kept this embarrassing word because they knew in this fourth whispering he identifies with us all. The skeptics then and now said: “See…see..where is your God now?”But as keep looking up at that Jesus we remember what old Isaiah said years and years before: “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.”

So we are in this together—God and us. Like those early disciples we do not know what our future will hold. We all agree that it is scary out there and we don’t know the effect this virus will have on all of us. 

But it’s Lent—that time when we look up again at this cross and remember. And this faith that stretches out from crucifixions and plagues and despots and cruelty beyond belief and wars and rumors of wars down to our own weepings. So we put down beside the pundits and all the frantic governmental officials and the monotonous reporting-- this word of the Lord. 

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam. though the mountains tremble with its tumult.” (Ps. 46. 1-3)

And if we let out fingers move down the page The Psalmist added, lest we forget: “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” (Ps. 46. 7,11)

My good friend, Brother Andrew wrote these words yesrs before he lost his beloved wife, Mary Jo last year:

“Jesus, do not take away the hurt—

Especially when the hurt is all that we have left.

Let the hurt and all that it means to us

Sanctify our lives 

And enable us to live

 In honor of that which we lost

And in anticipation of the tasks that remain

For us to accomplish in your name. Amen.

No Pollyanna words here. No whistle while work. No “God is trying to tell us something.” Just this.

When we walk to the edge of all

   the light we have

and take a step into the darkness

   of the unknown,

we must believe that one of two things 

   will happen—

There would be something solid for us

   to stand on,

Or, we will be taught how to fly.”

      —Patrick Overton, The Learning Tree

“The Lord of hosts is with us

The God of Jacob is our refuge.”   

—Roger Lovette / rogerlovette.blogspot.com