Liquid Prayers

Today I would like to say a special word of thanks to those of you who have supported the Dial Hope Foundation with a financial donation. Your gifts make this ministry possible!

Last month, I shared a quote by pastor Leonard Sweet. Let’s revisit that from another angle today.

In one of his sermons, Sweet shared from an ancient Jewish commentary on the book of Genesis. This commentary or “midrash” states that when Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden, God bestowed one more gift on the condemned couple. God gave Adam and Eve the gift of tears — so that “when grief overtakes you, and your heartaches beyond enduring, and great anguish grips your soul, then there will fall from your eyes this tiny tear. And your burden will grow lighter.”

The midrash continues, suggesting that when Adam’s and Eve’s first tears landed on the earth, the first “garden” outside of Eden sprang forth. The tears of anguish and abandonment became tears of new life and new hope.

Sweet went on to make the claim that “tears are liquid prayers.” He wrote:

“Water keeps our souls clean. That’s baptism. But the waterworks we have operating for us internally are called “tears.” Our tears rain down and flush out our guilt. Our tears rain down and release our fears. Our tears rain down and renew our souls.”

It is so true, isn’t it? When you weep over personal anguish or over the anguish of the world around you – or when you weep with those who weep, may you count your tears as prayers. May you remember that they draw you closer to God and bring healing to your soul.

Let us pray: Loving and gracious God, we thank you today for the ability to feel heartache and pain – for, without that, we would lack the motivation to make meaningful changes. We thank you also for the gift of tears – for a means of cleansing the soul. Grant that our tears of anguish and abandonment would indeed become tears of new life and hope. Amen.