The Platform of Tears
Tears are given to the church to relieve the pain. But has the body of Christ forgotten to weep? Is there a house that welcomes tears? Tears are a deep yearning for the voice of God to break in. We cry because we long for God to see, hear and act. We want the Lord to set our bones on fire. We no longer want the Lord to be a distant observer but a Father who is intimately connected with our suffering.
The groaning of our hearts feel the anguish of those who have had their identity erased. The ache for healing and restoration has become the sign that we have become fully engaged with humanity’s affliction. Apathy and indifference has been replaced with concern for our neighbor. The intense desire to bring emotional and spiritual comfort aches within our soul. We are broken with grief because we have been deeply affected by the distress of nations. The sight of abortion, the cover narrative of sexual promiscuity, the objectification of women and children caught in the trap of human trafficking, the lust for silver and gold and it’s purchasing power have lost its luster in the midst of sorrow. That burning sorrow for our neighbor frees us from the narcissistic attitude of our society. We then minimize our need to sustain our selfish causes and yearn to sustain our neighbor.
We agonize for those who were supposed to be the guardians of public trust, politicians, clergy and law in enforcement who have fallen into error and corruption. Because a community without the value of empathy, dehumanizes its neighbor and leaves a generation in captivity. What’s needed at this moment is the tone of prophetic intercession. These prayers are cries of hope, cries that plead for justice and mercy in the midst of the community’s exhaustion. Without shrinking into disrepair, these Intercessors weep for the redemption of the past, present and future. Physical necessities, personal safety, honor, and human dignity are what causes the shedding of tears for these prophets.
The only platform they have is the lament of their soul. For the cry of the intercessor is what keeps them from being numb for the carelessness of the unsympathetic. When there is an absence of emotion, society cannot reach out within the range of human emotions. Because prophetic intercession crafts the correct words to comfort nations. No one is able to overpower their hope because the awareness of God is greater than the awareness of suffering. For many, weeping for the disenfranchised turns into action. Simply because they understand that denial affects the social life of people living in a world which hides their pain.
Let us learn from the prophets of old who wept before they spoke, let us learn from leaders who wept before they acted. May our tears touch the Father’s heart so we can do what only He can do. Because weeping isn’t the end of the story it’s only the beginning.
Sincerely,
John Harke Team