Somehow, I’ve started receiving a morning email with the word of the day. These words aren’t those used in everyday language. Each day, I’m excited to learn about a new word and the meaning. I’m especially fond of the timely word that arrived two days ago. As news grows more dim, it seems I’ve been experiencing the feeling of WELTSCHMERZ.
Some mornings it feels like the world wakes up with a bruise. A shooting here, a murderous church burning there, these headlines accumulate like tombstones. The German word “Weltschmerz” aptly captures this sentiment, defined as a sorrow that comes from the realization that the world isn’t what it could and should be. Lately, it seems to wash over me daily, like waves against a weary shore.
The devil is having himself a field day. He’s busy planting fear in headlines, fanning the flames of hate, and distracting us with despair. That ache in your chest when you scroll through the news? That heaviness when you hear of another tragedy? That’s the weight of Weltschmerz. Pressing down on us, it suffocates joy while trying to convince us all is lost, while the devil delights in his handiwork.
But the truth is, we can’t allow Weltschmerz to rule our days.
Yes, evil is loud, but so is love when it speaks. For every act of destruction, there are countless random acts of kindness that never make the news like a neighbor carrying in groceries, a nurse holding a trembling hand, or a teacher speaking hope into a tired child. God has always been in the business of turning ashes into beauty, and He still is.
Weltschmerz finds us stuck in despair, but faith calls us to lift our eyes. Weep for the brokenness, but don’t let it poison the hours we’ve been given. Instead, plant joy in the middle of sorrow. Laugh, pray, sing, and love so defiantly that the devil’s so-called field day is cut short.
So, when that wave of Weltschmerz comes, let it wash past you without stealing your faith and hope. Anchor yourself in God’s goodness, look for the sparks of kindness all around, and remember that our world doesn’t belong to the devil. It belongs to the Lord.
More tomorrow.