It seems a contradiction, that in order to gain, we must first lose. That is the message Jesus gave his disciples when he ascended away from them. "If I do not go, the spirit will not come" (Jn 16: 6). It is as if Jesus is saying, losses can become gains. That indeed is good news.
For I know that no one has been untouched by losses, losses we each handle differently. Perhaps Jesus words on going away, on loss, is nothing more than a reminder to hope. Perhaps this is Jesus way of telling us that when we experience loss, as we inevitably will, we must remember there will be a gain as well. And Jesus is saying, not the same gain, but some greater, something more wonderful, something consoling.
This is how Jesus contradicts the world and its concepts. Jesus offers us a different way of thinking and of responding. The disciples responded to Jesus going away by gathering together in prayer and waiting. It can't be a bad example to follow. For sometimes, my loss is overwhelming, and all I can do is wait and pray. Jesus would have me wait with hope.
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