A Wife Loved Like The Church

Rather than enter the politico scene, I prefer to let others engage in politics. Bordering on apathy, I’ve found that world events don’t effect my daily life quite like caring for three young kids. And because of that, I don’t pay attention to them.

But as the civil war in Syria exalts to a deafening tone, I’m struck by my apathy.

If my husband, brothers, father, friends, were being killed, would I want others to be outraged?

If my children were gassed, would I want other mothers to weep for me?

Or would I sit back and say

“It’s ok. You can’t do anything about it, so don’t even worry about us.”

Hell no.

As a mother, I would want to know that other mothers are weeping at the loss of my child. I would want to know that they see my pain, they see my devastation, and they mourn with me. Not because we even know each other, but because we are mothers. And as mothers we are united in our love for our children.

I can sit back in the comfort of my home and blissfully ignore a war that is raging. I can block out the bad. I can ignore the pain. I can dull my senses. Because that is far easier. It is far easier to not know, than to know and be helpless.

Yet this morning as I listened to NPR, I realized that I cannot ignore Syria. Syria needs to matter to me. It needs to matter to me because I am a wife, a mother, a woman. But more than that, Syria needs to matter to me because it matters to God.

God calls His people to be a light in this dark world. God calls His people to pray. God calls His people to love like He loves.

While I am not naive enough to believe that I can change any issues in Syria, I refuse to willfully ignore their pain and suffering.  I refuse to let my comforts override their needs.  So, I challenge myself to let my heart break for the Syrians. To push off my comforts and imagine a life that is riddled with pain and suffering. And then to pray. Pray that God’s light shines. Pray that God’s glory be known. Pray that God’s Truth bring healing to the brokenhearted.

Let us not be a people so wrapped up in our own comforts that we are not willing to let other’s pain effect us. Let us be a people who view this world as God views this world. Let us be a people who love those we do not know. Let us be a people stand before the Lord on behalf of those who cannot.  Let us be a people moved to pray.