Jesus Wept

      Yesterday's Gospel reading was from John 11, the story of Lazurus.   When Jesus had heard his friend died he had a very human reaction.  Jesus wept. (John 11:35) This is the shortest verse in the  Bible.
        As often happens when I hear a song, a Bible verse or spoken words, it triggers a memory.  This one was of a trip to Oklahoma City in 2007 with Vern and Maureen.  While there in that wonderful city, we visited the Memorial  for the 168 people who died in the terrorist attack  on the Merrah Federal building on April 19, 1995.  It is a long reflecting pool and behind it are all size glass chairs, one for each person killed.  Many are small for the children at a day care center in the building.
      Maureen had wandered off to take pictures and Vern and I were sitting on a bench in front of the reflecting pond.  Practical Vern said that he thought the monument was a waste of good land.  He thought that it would have been better served to replace the building to show that you can bomb us but we will rebuild.  I tried to tell him that, this open space was a place of healing for the people of Oklahoma City.  He wasn't buying my explanation - it wasn't the first time.
       We had parked the car on the  side street across from the monument and noticed a sign on the building that said:  Old St. Joseph Cathedral.  I love visiting churches so we walked around the church to see if it was opened.  It wasn't, but we noticed in the back of  the property,  a statue.  The statue had it's back to the Federal Building Memorial, and it was titled:  Jesus Wept.  There was a plaque nearby, that said before the bombing, in that spot had been the rectory for the old Cathedral and the bombing had damaged both the Cathedral building and the rectory.  It had been decided to repair the Church but to tear down the rectory and place a statue  in its place.  As the three of us stood looking at this statue, we were moved to tears, Vern included.  The full impact at what had happened was before us in seeing Jesus' hand over his face.
        We had seen pictures many times of the Oklahoma City Monument but never the one put up by the Diocese.  It is well worth visiting.  It is a good reminder of the human side of Our Savior.  He felt anguish and pain as we do.  And He loved us so much that  He died for us.