Jesus had just made a preposterous statement to those who had gathered to grieve Jairus' daughter. Mark shares in verse 5:35, that she had been pronounced dead. In fact, some had already gathered at the house and were wailing, the customary response.
As a ruler of the synagogue, Jairus had taken no small risk of reputation to seek out Jesus, hoping his daughter would be restored.
Of late, given my desire to fully unpack my learnings, and at times with a vulnerability and transparency easily misunderstood, I too, wonder if my sincere desire to share, brings the risk of laughter, if not loss!
Why not chill, enjoy life, at least what's left! Still yet, each morning I hear, "Just write!"
Life has been very good to me, each day wrapping my life deeper with relationships among men and women from all economic levels, and from multiple professional and cultural sectors.
If something goes awry or needs attention, I am usually a couple phone calls away from remedy. That always works to one's favor, when self-employed.
Why risk such privilege? Why not just continue a comfortable income stream and enjoy your last days, let alone risk laughter by those who think you're stuck in the dark ages!
When you love others more than self, carrying a deep empathy gained by a now long life, one is compelled to engage with others, even when comfort calls for pull back.
One learns to see with different eyes, eyes more connected to the heart than the brain. One's first thought when pain or crisis is witnessed, especially when the only remaining remedy seems spiritual, less seldom is the thought, "what will they think of me"!
Sure wisdom must be used, but as I put myself and my beliefs out for wider scrutiny, many who read may never have experienced a personal encounter and with that comes the risk of misunderstanding my "why".
Because of that, I often draw comment by private message from those who hardly know me. Some scoff, particularly those wounded by religion, often carrying anger from some earlier abuse by those professing Christianity.
It happens, even I have been both wounded, and guilty of such misuse in my past.
Still I must write what I feel prompted to write, as my writing is not for opinion's sake, but rather a desire to share a love long shut up in my bones.
Perhaps its for my own therapy, as I reflect on the nature of religion when doctrine comes to mean more than relationship. Or, when another's lifestyle threatens threatens one's margins for grace! Yet, there is no limit to love and the longer one lives, the wider their margins for grace.
Does love cost the one who gives it away?
There is always a risk of misunderstanding and often from those who most need grace, laugher the only weapon left for their rejection of that love.
Why is that? My guess its the pain of rejection, the recall of the abuse from the last time they opened themselves to love from another human.
As one so unbelievably blessed, I hold a deep hope, not in religion, for too often it takes hope hostage, but in a grace that comes only by way of unbelievable moments experienced along life's journey.
So I'll take the risk of laughter, from those who somehow still, do not truly understand grace, or have the strength to trust again. Even the one who has felt bullied by an overzealous believer who like them had yet to understand grace.
"And straightway the damsel arose and walked...and they (those who had laughed) were astonished!" Mk 5:42.