Sunday, July 13
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
—Romans 12:15
Yet we often feel as if our problems and our joys are ours alone. We can sometimes feel as if in our life's drama, we not only play the lead role, but all the supporting parts as well. We have only to go to the local bookstore and note the vast amount of self-help books to know that we are obsessed with ourselves.
The way we are released from self-obsession is to join in the common throng of emotion that is all around us. When someone’s heart is gladdened by the relief of good news, their joy can become our joy. When loss and sadness descend upon another person’s shoulders, their pain can become our own.
If we rejoice with those who are happy, we’ll find that our own stifling struggles miraculously disappear. When we weep with those who weep, we find that the shadows and questions surrounding us are no longer as crucial as we thought. If we enter the door of life with those whose hearts are dancing or whose hearts are broken, we will find new healing for the ragged splinters in our soul.
O God, let my eyes turn outward so that I may become more fully human, more fully alive.
The Signposts for July are written by Renée Miller and originally appeared on explorefaith.org in 2004.
