Jesus Weeps

Can I ask you to watch a video? 

As part of her message last Sunday, Laura drew our attention to the shortest verse in the Bible: "Jesus wept." Jesus had arrived at the scene where a family was in distress because their family member (Lazarus) had died. What was going on, why did Jesus cry? As Laura pointed out, God was identifying with the people and the feelings of the moment. 
 
There's another reason Jesus wept. Imagine the scene with me. This is God - creator of all, creator of life - beholding one of his image bearers having succumbed to death. Although Jesus is about to demonstrate His authority over death, he pauses in response. The disfiguring and wretched reality of death was never meant for His image bearers. His image bearers are meant for life. Yes, Jesus redeems, but first he wept. 
 
Yesterday, we were all so troubled to hear the horrific news of 751 more bodies buried in unmarked graves at a former residential school in Saskatchewan. 
 
751 image bearers. 
 
751 laid in death with no proper burial or marking to honour their dignity and lives as image bearers.  
 
Jesus weeps. 
 
June is Indigenous History month and we have been writing in these Dearly Beloved blogs this month to address this. We conclude this month with "Orange Sunday." I invite you to join Laura and I in wearing orange in solidarity with our Indigenous neighbours in this time of mourning. We must reflect and we must pray. 
 
We must also listen and learn. 
 
I want to introduce you to Bruce Brown. As a young boy, Bruce was taken from his family and placed in a Residential School. Years later, he is the pastor of Vancouver Native Pentecostal Church, which is part of our family of churches (Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada). I want you to hear Bruce's story of pain. I want you to allow him to lead you in prayer. 
 
Let's listen and learn. Watch his video here: https://bcpaoc.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/Shared/EhtSAf3V_MpKjHCOBkelDzQBs-Zs4vFDOWxNoDZBQSDEyA