Who cares? - Brenda Carroll

*This is reprinted from the March 26, 2007 edition of "The Church Bell."

One of the hymns I remember from my early Christian journey is titled "Does Jesus Care?"  It is No. 180 in the Cokesbury hymnal and was well worn in the hymnal that stayed on the piano in my home.

"Does Jesus care when my heart is pained

Too deeply for mirth or song,

As the burdens press,

And the cares distress,

And the way grows weary and long?"

The chorus answers with resounding faith, trust, confidence.

"O yes, He cares, I know he cares,

His heart is touched by my grief,

When the days are weary,

The long night dreary,

I know my Savior cares."

In this time of my life, it remains important to me to know that Jesus cares.  But, has anyone else ever gone to their death on a cross for me?  I have every reason to believe He cares.  There is another question that is very important.  Does Jesus know that I care?  Do I care when His heart is pained?  Do my griefs and cares match his?  Do my loves match His?  It seems that a mature Christian would ask both questions:  Does Jesus care?;  Do I care? 

I also think about other questions.  Does the church convince the world that Jesus cares?  If I, a follower, represent Jesus in this church and in my daily life, what do people discern to be Jesus' cares?  What/who does Jesus love?  How does Jesus care?  What breaks the heart of Jesus?  What grieves Jesus?  The unchurched look at the church and ask, "Who cares?"  Is Jesus invitation to "Follow Me" also a way of saying, "Who cares?" 

I wish Lent didn't open up such difficult questions. You'd think I'm supposed to pick up a cross!  Sometimes I'd like to wash my hands of the whole thing.  But somebody already did that, didn't they?

Brenda Carroll