Losing It

We lose things… our car keys, credit card, the odd sock – that went in the washing machine but never came out. We lose our way… when walking round an unfamiliar town, driving in the countryside, taking the wrong turning.

Losing people can be ambiguous… If I said, ‘I lost my daughter many years ago,’ it could mean that as a child she wandered off in the supermarket; it could mean that we had a huge argument and we’ve not been in contact since then; it could refer to a tragic death. (I’m delighteded that none of those is true!)

This week I’ve chatted with and reflected on folks who have talked about losing it… losing the faith that they once had… losing a sense of purpose and direction for their lives… losing their fitness and health… losing control of life as events out of their control have overtaken them… losing hope in relationships that have broken down.

I reflected on Luke 15: Jesus tells the stories of the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son. But they’re not just stories about a sheep, a coin and a son that gets lost; they’re stories about a loving shepherd, a diligent woman, a patient father who care enough to find that which was lost. There needed to be a sad loss in order that there could be a joyful finding.

This morning I read Zechariah’s prophecy, often quoted on Palm Sunday:

  Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
    Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
    righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

My mind went forward to Good Friday… Jesus losing his friends, his dignity, his reputation and ultimately his life. It was through his loss that he found Easter Sunday’s hope, sense of spiritual awe, and new life.

Sometimes, perhaps loss is necessary, so that we can find something, someone, that transcends our loss… bringing joyful enthusiasm, renewed relationships, clearer direction, consistent peace.