As we consider this unique capacity given to us by God – the capacity to feel – there are some shared feelings expressed almost wherever you go. Allow me to illustrate.
Some time ago, I was at the airport waiting to catch a plane. The television monitors seemed to be the focal point at every departure gate, and I wondered what story was attracting such undivided attention. It was the trial of Timothy McVeigh for the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City. His friend was on the witness stand.
“What did he say when you said that even innocent children would die in this planned explosion of the building?” the prosecutor asked. Every viewer waited with bated breath for the answer. The alleged accomplice replied that McVeigh had told him, “Everyone there is guilty by association with this evil government, and they are getting what they deserve.” At this moment it was impossible to miss the reaction: Every man and woman present was shaking his or her head in disbelief. It was the silent expression of incredulity that a man could have no twinge of conscience at such a callous act.
More recently, remember the tragic story of an eighteen-year-old young woman? She excused herself from the middle of a dance at her prom, returned moments later, and asked the band to play her favorite song. Nobody was aware that she had gone to the bathroom, gave birth to her baby, and then suffocated the baby to death. Psychiatrists describe her as a woman who has amputated her feelings from reality. Society at large was dumbfounded by the horror of that unconscionable act.
But it is not only the bizarre that homogenizes our feelings. We watch with widespread approval when tears of delight are shed in pursuit of something noble. Kerri Strug, who, with only one foot to bear the weight of her painful landing, courageously vaulted in the 1996 Olympics for the honor and goal of helping her team win a medal for her country, winning the emotional applause of a watching world. The tears were hard to restrain.
Tears are a vital part of our make up. Jesus wept at His friend’s grave, even though He was going to raise him from the dead. The Bible says there is a time to mourn and a time to laugh. The best gift Jesus Christ gives to you is to show you what to weep for and what joyous laughter is all about.
_________________________
Copyright © 2002 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. “A Slice of Infinity” is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.
*