Jesus Tears

The shortest verse in the Bible, most people know, is John 11:35 which states, "Jesus wept."

I've run across a phenomenon a number of times while visiting patients in the hospital. Every so often someone will become easily teary when telling me about his or her church, religious history or story of how he came to be a Christian. Some stories are more dramatic tellings of transition from a rough life of drugs to getting clearn with help from a church, and some are a simpler, milder tales of nurtering by their faith community. Along with many of these stories come tears, and I for the life of me cannot figure out where the tears come from.

I've come to call these, Jesus Tears.

In Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) we deal with tears all the time. Often they are tears of grief from those losing a loved one. Many times they are our own tears as we learn more about ourselves in CPE's own sick version of therapy. We are quickly promted to identify from where our tears come as someone asks, "What are your tears about?" In my experience, it's usually pretty obvious. We talk about them, and it's the weirdest thing, somehow healing happens.

I can't explain it, but as much as I don't want to-crying is healthy, darn it!

So when I come across Jesus Tears in a patient visit I have been known to ask, "What are your tears saying?" Most often, people don't know, or just won't say. Trying to fight them hasn't worked but they're determined not to talk about them.

Perhaps their tears are from feeling overwhelmed by their condition in the hospital. I imagine I would feel this way in the situation that so many patients find themselves. Perhaps these tears are the expression of past pain that was never dealt with but is now coming out. Perhaps they're tears of joy because of such a meaningful relationship with God. But it could be any of these explanations or others. They always catch me off gurad, and I never know why they are there.

So where do Jesus tears come from? They're often some of the sweetest tears I see. They show up when people don't seem to have words with which to articulate their thoughts.

Have you ever cried and not known why? Have you ever had Jesus tears?

Any thoughts?