How We Hold the Unbearable

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In moments of tragedy, like the recent floods in Texas, there are no perfect answers. Only the quiet strength of presence, prayer, and compassion. I don’t come today with explanations, but with shared grief. Swedenborg reminds us that “the Lord is present with everyone, urging and pressing to be received” (Secrets of Heaven §904), and I believe that divine presence is especially tender in heartbreak. We may not find reasons, but we can find one another. We can suffer with (com-passio) and let our hearts break open rather than simply break. God’s heart is always the first to break. That truth carries us when words fall short. So we stay still. We pray. We act, even in small ways. We love those close to us while holding space for those far away. This is how we hold the unbearable…together, in the presence of a suffering, loving God.