Does God Grieve?

It was a wonderful fall day yesterday as the family attended the Miami University (Oxford) first home game.  Continuing the tradition of subliminal encouragement (Ellen - Miami?), we ended the visit to Oxford at the Miami Coop Bookstore and the purchase of a Miami sweat jacket for Ellen.  That evening we were invited for dinner at the neighbors that was cut short by the need for Ellen and I to visit the Observatory in Cincinnati to view Neptune (for extra credit for Mr. Miller's science class). 

A day reminding me of the joy available from God - a day with the family, memories of college, a blue sky day with the fall feeling of football, dining with friends, and looking up to the heavens.  But the real moment came during the dinner discussion with T.B. about faith and grief.  T.B. professes to be an "ignostic". 

Somehow the discussion came to a subject no one likes to contemplate - living longer than your children.  Each of us shared our speculation on the emotional states we might experience.  There were even stories of people we knew who provided testimonials about their feelings and faith after losing a child (me with men in my Bible study; Susan with Emmaus). 

Then it hit me - "I think the very emotion of grief and hate speaks to me that there is a God".  Since we are made in the image of God, experiences like having children (creation), and raising children (dealing with control and free will), allow us in a small way to experience the enormity of God like emotions.  Dealing with grief (extreme grief) is just one of those emotions and is part of the "cost" of having the "benefit" of joy.

So does God grieve?  Yes - but in a journey of joyously watching his children grow spiritually.


P.S.  For T.B. - Is there a God?   Well maybe Pascal's view would convince him - "Minimize the downside"