How Deep the Father's Love

"How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss--
The Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory."

-Stuart Townend,

"How Deep the Father's Love"

"Yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward."

"...his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn."

"Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgement, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict."

Job 5:7, 14:22, 37:23 (KJV)

"The horror! The horror!"

-Joseph Conrad (Kurtz, Heart of Darkness)

"My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?"

Psalm 22:1 (KJV)

". . . I heard the man cry again, 'Where is God now?' And I heard a voice within me answer, 'Here he is--he is hanging here on this gallows.'"

-Elie Wiesel, Night

Why?

That is a question that, perhaps, shall never have an answer, and rightly so, for what answers we have shall always be insufficient. There is a limit to all understanding.

Yet He is with us, in the very midst of pain and of horrors. Whenever the least of these suffers, He suffers too. He has taken upon Himself all suffering, for without Him, it would overwhelm us, and we should perish utterly. And if we, weary, will come to Him, He shall redeem even grief. His call is not that all shall be explained nor that we shall be happy nor that we shall never mourn. Nay, His call is "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28, NIV).

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful."

Revelation 21:4-5 (KJV)

What then?

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Amen. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Come quickly.