παράκλητος

 

Here – I want you here.  Be here.  HERE.

 

It’s starting to make sense – I’m starting to see.  And it’s exciting – painful – good – hard – difficult – joyous – and long, and deep, and late.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

2nd Corinthians 1:3-4

The word for comfort here (parakaleō) literally means to “come along side” – I don’t know if you’ve ever had the opportunity to look someone in the eyes, and listen to their heart. 

To hear and understand and listen and know.

 

To share the comfort – and to point towards the source of that comfort.

 

The source? The one who comes alongside? The paraklētos? Well that’s easy – that’s Jesus.

 

And here’s something I love – an emphasis that gets lost in the translation from greek the fact that all of our afflictions (plural) are swallowed up by the comfort (singular) with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  That same comfort is sufficient, no more than sufficient – it exceeds, far beyond all our afflictions – that one comfort.

 

And while your thinking about that – think about this. Comfort shared is comfort relived.  I can’t unpack and share the comfort I’ve received without being reminded of God’s comfort. Try to telling a moving story, without being moved.  The more you share this spring, the more it flows.  Like widening a culvert, or deepening a canal. 

 

Stay up late – listen, share.  Come alongside. Share the comfort you’ve received.  There is only one demand comfort makes of you – to be acknowledged and shared – and this is a joy.