Daring to feel; daring to hope

Dear Friends in Christ -

Lots of folks in our parish and in our community are feeling the pain of job loss. While only a few of our parishioners have lost their jobs over the past few months, many have seen their companies down-size. Colleagues have been forced out. And many are wondering if their company, their department, their job will be next.

When someone share tough news with us, the impulse is to try to speak words of comfort. The problem is that all the things we're tempted to say are really no comfort at all: "It was bound to happen." "Lots of other people are getting laid off, too." "It's a great time to be unemployed; benefits have been extended." "It'll be OK; nobody's going to starve."

When tough news hits, the thing we really have to offer is listening ears, an invitation to hear more of the person's story. What are they afraid of: losing their house? not being able to keep their kid in sports? not being able to help an aging parent? What is particularly painful: the grief of not working with a favorite co-worker? the frustration of a spouse already on the edge who isn't in a position to help share the load? For each person it's different; and we'll never what the real story for him/her is if we don't ask, or if we fill in the silences with our own stories.

It's painful to keep hearing the stories of those in need. Sometimes we just don't have the internal resources to offer this kind of help and support. But when we can do it, this kind of "suffering with" is the best gift we can give. It honors what people are really going through and reminds them that they're not alone.

This kind of "suffering with" is also the beginning of hope. After the truth of what's hard and painful has been spoken and shared, hope has space to flood in. And hope comes, mostly, not in a flood of words of encouragement, but in the very fact that we're still there listening, holding, and bearing up together -leaning on the strength of God.

What's next for our companies, for our country? Who knows. . . Only God - and He's not telling. He is doing something, though. He's staying. Right here. With us. No matter what. And we have the privilege of bearing witness to His presence by staying with those in need and by being listening beacons of hope.

Faithfully,
Janet+