"And by and large all was well with us. But down below there was another world where, by and large, all was not well. Friends got sick and died there. Accidents happened to people we knew. Children not much older than ours got into all sorts of grief. Couples got divorced, and men lost their jobs....until there were times when it seemed to me as thought the world below was a stormy sea with waves all around us as high as the hills we were encircled by, and the little patch of mountain where we lived was the only place left anywhere that was safe and dry." (F. Buechner "Listening to Your Life" p.45)
One of the hardest parts of my "job" is how much of the human condition I get to see first hand. On any given week, I will hear of someone who's gotten sick, or had a relative die, or lost a job, a marriage ending, kids getting into trouble. Yes it is part of a pastor's job, to create a place for people to unload some of life's heavier burdens for a moment. In many ways it is a privilege to be trusted that much to just listen. Maybe give some advice or comfort but mostly listen.
I realize in many ways I've been very fortunate in terms of having things go horribly wrong. Maybe when those storms of life crash on me, I may be in a better place to handle them, because of handling other people's crisis, but that may not be completely true. Who knows how I'll really respond when my parents get very sick and eventually die. Who knows how I might respond if a church I served really didn't like me and forced me out? How would I respond if my sons got into trouble with drugs, or got their girlfriend pregnant?
For the moment I should probably give thanks for healthy parents, semi-normal kids and a church that apparently likes me. Continue to be present for those for whom life is not being as nice to. And be ready for the reality that very few people get to go through life without a crisis of one kind or another.
Blessings,
Ed
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