A woman’s happiness was shattered by the loss of her brother, a good man, dearly loved. Torn by anguish, she kept asking God, “Why?” But hearing the silence, she set out in search of an answer. She had not gone far when she came upon an old man sitting on a bench. He was weeping. He said, “1 have suffered a great loss. I am a painter and I have lost my eyesight.” He too was seeking an answer to the question, “why?” The woman invited him to join her and, taking him by the arm, they trudged down the road. Soon they overtook a young man walking aimlessly. He had lost his wife, the source of his joy, to another man. He joined in the search of an answer to the “why” question. Shortly they came upon a young woman weeping on her front doorstep. She had lost her child. She too joined them. Nowhere could they find an answer. Suddenly they came upon Jesus Christ Each confronted him with their questions, but Jesus gave no answer. Instead, he began to cry and said, “1 am bearing the burden of a woman who has lost her brother, a girl whose baby has died, a painter who has lost his eyesight, and a young man who has lost a love in which he delighted.” As he spoke, the four moved closer and they embraced each other. And they grasped Jesus’ hands. Jesus spoke again saying, “My dominion is the dominion of the heart. I cannot prevent pain. 1 can only heal it.” “How?” asked the woman. “By sharing it,” he said. And then he was gone. And the four? They were left standing holding each other.
_ William J Bausch
“Joy shared is doubled; whereas sorrow or pain shared is halved.”