Imago Scriptura 68 - Job 14-21 - Piling On

The last several chapters of Job feel like the same thing over and over.  Job's friends go after him - getting more and more vocal about their belief that Job caused the calamities that have come upon him.  Then Job responds with his frustration with them and with God.  Repeat.  Repeat.  Repeat.

I'm not making light of the situation by any means but wow it so feels like more and more just keeps getting piled on top of Job.  Not only does Job feel that he is being treated unfairly (accurate) but also he now feels that his friends who initially started out coming and just silently sitting with Job in his grief are now in the place of "come on Job, snap out of it.  Suck it up.  Confess your sin and move on!"

As I have walked through grief with many people in my life and ministry and as I have dealt with the challenges of grief (as well as depression and other challenges) on my own, I know the feeling that one receives when people think, "Come on, you've been grieving long enough!" or "Come on, snap out of it.  Life isn't that bad."  Or they offer a host of other platitudes.  After a while it feels like this snow drift (pictured).  It feels like no matter what you do, it just keeps piling on and piling on and piling on.

Notice I haven't said a whole lot about God in this post so far.  I think that's because for many people, just like Job, they (and I have felt this too) feel like God is one of those who is piling on just like others.  Its a tough place to be.  But many of us have been there (and at times go back there too)