Women, why are you weeping?

In honor of Earth Day, American Masters on PBS aired the documentary, A Fierce Green Fire: . . .
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/a-fierce-green-fire/watch-the-full-film/2924/
presenting in graphic detail the development of the environmental movement. In Act 2 of the film, narrators told the story of Love Canal (Niagara, NY) and how the residents cried out to the powers that be that 21,000 tons of toxic waste was buried underground and that it was affecting their everyday lives. It was the mothers that rose up to confront the “experts” on environmental control and produced evidence that their babies were born with defects, i.e., a third ear, missing or deformed limbs, and later in life, an extra row of teeth would develop.  This documentary was very riveting, and I marveled at the tenacity of the mothers who demanded being heard, noticed, and believed.  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Canal

It reminded me of the homily I gave about the women of the first century who were considered not reliable witnesses according to the Rabbinic Law. According to Mathew’s Gospel, the two women who came to the empty tomb after the Resurrection were the first witnesses and ran to tell the hiding disciples that Jesus had risen from dead - just as he said. Apparently God broke the rules and had women be the first witnesses of the Resurrection event, but  they were not immediately heard, noticed, or believed. 

So as I prayed this morning, the Scriptural phrase that came to me was, “Women, why are you weeping?” So what I share below are my random thoughts and feelings in light of this documentary, the 36 homes destroyed and 41 victims of the mudslide in Oso, Washington, the people of Malaysia flight MH370, the victims of the South Korean ferry boat, the victims of the Ebola virus in West Africa, and the 16 Sherpa guides and other climbers killed in the avalanche on Mount Everest. For me, these days, I see the faces of so many women weeping.

So let me begin with this short story by Sue Monk Kidd: 
“Once when I was going through a difficult time, my husband touched his finger to the tears winding down my face, then touched his wet finger to his own cheek. His gesture spoke volumes to me. It said: ‘Your tears run down my face, too. Your suffering aches inside my heart as well.  I share your wounded place.’”

So let us pray:
Women, Why Are You Weeping? ~ We share your wounded place.

The women of Oso, Washington ~ We weep for our husbands, wives, sons, daughters, friends, other family members, co-workers, and our community. The rain-soaked hills collapsed. Now the  faces of the peoples of Oso are tear-soaked and their spirits are collapsed.  Your tears run down our faces, too. Your suffering aches inside our hearts.
http://news.yahoo.com/obama-visits-mudslide-hit-community-washington-state-000114602.html?.tsrc=o2de

The women of the victims of Malaysia flight MH370 ~ We weep for our families and friends, buried in the depths of the Indian Ocean.  Your tears run down our faces, too.  Your suffering aches inside our hearts. http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/15/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/index.html

The women of the victims of the Korean ferry boat disaster ~ We weep for our children, our only sons and daughters – The tents of sorrowful mourning are not large enough to hold the pain and sadness of our families.  The waters of the sea once again claim the lives of this unfathomable happening. Your tears run down our faces, too.  Your suffering aches inside our hearts.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/19/world/asia/south-korea-ship-sinking/index.html

The women of the victims of the Ebola virus ~ We weep for the 140 victims of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. We pray that the World Health Organization will detect the origin of this virus and have the resources to rein it in from being transmitted any further.  Your tears run down our faces, too.  Your suffering aches inside our hearts. 
http://www.inquisitr.com/1207986/ebola-outbreak-2014-aid-organizations-take-emergency-measures-in-west-africa/

The women of the victims of the Sherpa guides ~ We weep for the 16 guides who are now held in the frozen embrace of the ice and snows of Mount Everest.  May their voices echo in the valleys so that justice for their families and other guides be honored. "It is just impossible for many of us to continue climbing. While there are three of our friends buried in the snow, I can't imagine stepping over them. We want to honor the members we lost and out of respect for them we just can't continue.”   Your tears run down our faces, too. Your suffering aches inside our hearts.
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/549145/20140423/everest-sherpas-climbing-season-nepal.htm

Women, why are you weeping? ~ We share your wounded place. Amen.