Mourning

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4 NIV

This verse used to seem like a bit of an oxymoron to me.  Blessing in mourning? But now I think I am starting to understand it a bit. If one is mourning the loss of a special person, then one had to have loved that person to begin with. Someone with a hard heart, who doesn’t grieve lost relationships, is someone who hasn’t loved others, and that is surely a dead place to be. But to have a loving heart that embraces other is a real blessing.

There are also those who mourn over the violence and suffering endured by so many people around the world.  But to mourn in that way, one would need a caring, compassionate heart.  Someone who is caring and compassionate will have meaningful relationships with others and that is surely a blessing.

And then there is the mourning of actions (or omissions) that I have done that have hurt others. If I can’t be sorry for hurting others, I can’t learn to be someone who builds others up. But if I regret my harmful actions, then I will receive the blessing of learning to be a blessing to others. That would be comforting for all involved.