I often listen to the radio in the car when I'm driving,
and it's always the local classical station. I've been a classical fan since I was
a child – an odd bird in a family who liked Country-Western (my brother),
Lawrence Welk (my parents), and hymns/Gospel music (many of my relatives). I
have several hundred CDs of classical music, primarily Baroque religious works,
and I have an iPod that I've loaded up with almost all of them. I used to
listen to my iPod at work since playing classical religious music was
definitely out of the range of tolerance as much as if I had wanted to play
opera or Taiko drumming.
Today, as I was driving, the radio station began playing
an aria, one of Luciano Pavarotti's most famous solos, "Nessun Dorma."
It's from an opera (and I'm not a fan of opera), but this aria (and maybe one or two others)
never fails to put a catch in my throat. I have no idea what makes me so
sensitive to this piece when even some of my very favorites fail to cause tears
to get no further than my eyelashes.
Tears are quite often a sign of sorrow, grief, physical
or emotional pain. Babies can wail at the top of their lungs but don't always produce
tears. The wailing is a sign that something is not going their way and they
would like it fixed quickly, thank you very much. There are happy tears, like
the bride's mother sheds at her offspring's wedding. Proud parents have tears
flowing down their cheeks at first communions, baptisms, graduations, and any
time their children mark a special event or achievement. People cry at special
events, whether to mark horrendous tragedies or outstanding achievements. Birth,
death, and all sorts of things between those two milestones are reasons for tears.
Some churches take special notice of tears and why they
are shed. Roman Catholics call it the "Gift of Tears" when someone is
moved to cry because the liturgy is so beautiful that they feel overwhelmed or
feel particularly close to God. St. Ignatius was one of those. On a visit to
Auschwitz, Pope Francis asked God for the gift of tears for all those put to
death due to barbarity and anti-semitism. He wanted to show his repentance and
desire for a world where anti-semitism and hatred will come to be as the Holy
Trinity want it to be. Although not an
official "Saint," Margery Kempe was singularly blessed with the gift
of tears often and frequently very loudly when she contemplated her sin, the
glory of God, and the redemption offered by Jesus. She was one of the more
extreme cases, but many saints and Saints shed tears at prayer or in
contemplation.
The Gospels state that Jesus shed drops of blood and
sweat while he prayed at the Garden of Gethsemane, but would it not be possible
that he shed tears of anguish also? We know he wept at the tomb of Lazarus and as
he contemplated Jerusalem from the mountaintop. I'm sure there were other times
as well. I wonder if he ever shed tears of frustration when people, even his
disciples, didn't get what he was trying to get across to them?
Being one who has not been given the gift of tears, I
often envy those who can seemingly shed them at the drop of a sad movie ending
or the thought of a loved one passing or who has passed. I choke up at some
songs, the beauty of a cathedral or a sunlight-dappled forest, even watching a
horse race. Why a horse race? The animal is beautiful in motion and could so
easily break down or be injured to the point of death. Why can't I at least
leak a few tears when I see pictures of people suffering from famine, war, natural
disasters, or plagues? I hate seeing children in need, elders in great pain
because their children want every possible modern intervention to keep Mother
or Dad with them just a while longer, or animals who have been the subject of
cruelty some human being thought was fun. Things like these tear my heart and
often drive me to prayer, but tears? Not a one.
Where do you see the gift of tears in your life? Do you
share tears with loved ones at family events? Do disasters causing significant loss of life
affect you? Do beautiful things make tears well up in your eyes? What about when you think about your sins or
guilt? Does the thought of the sacrifice of Jesus for those sins and guilt
bring you closer to tears?
Tears can be cleansing, healing, and even uplifting. Even
for adults, it's okay to cry; we don't have to be stoic about everything. Let God
love you, beauty touch you, and relief wash over you. If Jesus could weep, why
can't we? I bet even God has shed tears from time to time. We have that capacity,
and we are made in God's image.
Think about it.
God bless.
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