Reflection~The God Who Weeps

We, in our present states of mind, cannot possibly comprehend what it would be like to be gods or goddesses. To shape and create worlds without number!—as mortals, we automatically desire to attach a numerical figure to these worlds; how can something truly be innumerable?—to hold the entirety of creation in our hands!—the vast responsibility associated with such a calling is unfathomable; would it not be too much for one to handle?—to be the most all-knowing and ever-present being in the universe!—we humans do not know everything, but we do know enough to know we cannot know everything at this time; what kind of power would accompany such a wealth of knowledge? Of course, special attentions to unique power, ability, and knowledge cannot be the only matters of concern when considering the greatness of God’s responsibilities. To feel the pain of each individual… To witness the disobedience of one’s own beloved children… To fully understand the tears of every wounded son and daughter… How can one withstand the heartache brought about by these examples?

How, then, can we dispute the tears of God? Our Heavenly Father is the all-knowing, ever-present Creator of worlds without number. He created them for us. It is obvious to me that a God who would so willingly and lovingly create and manage an entire universe exclusively for His children would not disregard our feelings and experiences. We need not ask as Enoch did, “How is it that thou canst weep?” (Moses 7:29). He weeps because He feels. He knows. He cares. That provides a sufficient example of how caring we must strive to become.

I am a sympathetic crier. If I, an intensely flawed being, can feel another’s pain even in a slight degree, I can hardly fathom how sensitive God must be to each of His children’s sentiments. And this is a significant portion of what makes our Heavenly Father so admirable. Fiona Givens states it like so:

I would argue that it is [the] capacity to weep for, to grieve and to mourn with his creation wherein resides His supreme power. Of all His attributes, I find this one to be the most divine, the most compelling. It is this attribute that makes Him worthy of emulation and adoration.

Certainly, God is worthy of our admiration. The knowledge that He loves and knows me on such a personal level is a great comfort to me. It makes me want to become more sensitive to others’ feelings. When times of hardship and feelings of inadequacy have driven me to tears, I have remembered that God knows me. He understands, and He cares. And I have found comfort in the knowledge that He, too, may be considered a sympathetic crier. Although I feel embarrassed when I start crying with someone—even though I am grateful that it allows that person to realize that I sympathize with him or her—I know Heavenly Father is not ashamed to let us know He cries when we cry. I have a long way to go before I can reach His state of perfect love, but I do look forward to the day when I can help another as He has helped me.

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