Dear Brothers in Christ….
I’m afraid my earlier post (below) elicited some unintended consequences. I’ve already had some feedback from brothers who felt it was directed at them personally. For that reason I almost considered taking it off the this blog. However, since it expresses a situation that I think Christian men should be sensitive to, I’m going to leave it up.
However, please know two things: First, I wasn’t directing it at any individual specifically but rather at the community of Christian brothers which I think needs to remember the shortest verse in the Bible is: “Jesus wept”. We, too, must learn to weep with other men.
And secondly, I have met the enemy and it is me. Prior to Susan’s illness and death, I also had real problems coming along side those who mourned. I’m just a dumb engineer who can only relate to inanimate objects. Real people are a threat to me, as my precious wife often pointed out. Any compassion I’ve developed has come from the Lord using her as a model for developing the same loving heart she had.
Finally, my comments came on a day when my own grief sprang up in a surprising way. Perhaps sensitized by last night’s group which dwelled on the need to allow oneself to go through the grief–not around it–I found myself suddenly breaking down in sobs as the magnitude of my loss came home to me unexpectedly. I am doing fine now, but I apologize if the complexities of today’s emotional state has caused anyone anguish as they read the blog below.
Your friend in Christ,
John