We are Human

Some days I'm a grouch. I feel tired, and I'm short-tempered. Often, I will apologize to those around me
by saying, "I'm just not myself today," or "I'm out-of-sorts."

But...neither of those statements is really true. Even in my irritated, frustrated, sassy moments, I am completely and entirely myself. 

I am human.

And so are you. 

As humans, we have a range of emotions and moods. We have ups and downs. This admission is not an excuse to make those around us miserable. But it is valid and necessary to recognize that some minutes, hours, days, or more, we will likely be less than joyful.

The Gospel in today's Lectionary is beautifully instructive of this aspect of humanity. I often feel that we don't spend enough (or maybe any) time meditating on Christ's human side. After all, he was both human and divine.  

In the story of Lazarus, Jesus experiences a range of emotions. 

The one most often noted is expressed in the verse, And Jesus wept. This is deeply powerful. I have known this sadness and despair. In the loss of a loved one, the loss of a dream, the loss of an opportunity--I have wept.  

Twice Jesus is described as perturbed. Jesus was anxious, concerned, and troubled. I have known this unease, this fear and frustration. In the moments of not knowing, in the waiting, in the disappointments, in the unmet expectations--I have been perturbed. 

Continually those gathered, including Lazarus' sisters, question Jesus and misunderstand him. His tone suggests a very human frustration. Do you believe this? Did I not tell you...? Even in his prayer, And Jesus raised his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me."* I have known this frustration. In the building of tensions, the shortness of deadlines, the interruptions, the miscommunications--I have been frustrated.

We can learn from Jesus' human nature. There is no shame in our sadness, our anxiety, or our frustrations. Denying these parts of ourselves only causes further dis-ease. 

Let's embrace who we are...completely and entirely. 

I am human. 

And so are you.

*from John 11:33–44