At times life makes no sense whatsoever.

That may be the most understated sentence I’ve ever posted.

But what do you do when you feel disoriented by life?  When a loved one dies, when someone you are close to gets cancer, when your dear friends can’t have a baby of their own, when your wife/husband leaves you, when your dreams are dashed to the carpet, when you feel confused and lost, when God seems absent/incomprehenisble?  More than any time in my life, these last few years have lead me into this state of great bewilderment.  I am analytical / reflective so I try to make some sense of these “big-issue” life questions, but more often than not I end up more confused.

Today I read an interest statement in David Dark’s book that addresses a possible purpose for our bewilderment:

“Where there is no bewilderment, we might say, there is no humility, and without humility, there can be no understanding, no empathy, and neither liberty nor justice for any.”  David Dark, The Gospel According To America.

I am humbled by the fact that I am “lost” to a great degree.  The Coldplay song, Lost!, also addresses how one can be “lost” without being lost.  Understanding the subtle difference is key to understanding the humility of bewilderment that leads to empathy I think.  Here are the lyrics in case you’ve never heard the song:

Lost! (by Coldplay)

Just because I’m losing
Doesn’t mean I’m lost
Doesn’t mean I’ll stop
Doesn’t mean I would cross

Just because I’m hurting
Doesn’t mean I’m hurt
Doesn’t mean I didn’t get
What I deserved
No better and no worse

I just got lost
Every river that I tried to cross
Every door I ever tried was locked
Ohhh and I’m…
Just waiting ’til the shine wears off

You might be a big fish
In a little pond
Doesn’t mean you’ve won
‘Cause along may come
A bigger one

And you’ll be lost
Every river that you tried to cross
Every gun you ever held went off
Ohhh and I’m…
Just waiting until the firing stopped
Ohhh and I’m…
Just waiting ’til the shine wears off

[piano solo]

Ohhh and I…
Just waiting ’til the shine wears off
Ohhh and I..
Just waiting ’til the shine wears off