Sadness

Everyone experiences a certain amount of sadness once in a while. For some it comes and goes. For others it lingers on, if the cause of sadness is deep and painful. It can happen suddenly or it can creep on you gradually. At times it can make your life miserable. The Desert Fathers used to call sadness the ‘midday devil.’ St Francis on the other hand  used to say ‘let sadness be the devil’s concern – he has every right to be sad.’ Frequently sadness brings more sadness. If happiness is the light of the saint, sadness is the shadow of the devil. Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) used to say we have wings but never use them – in our sad moments we should open those wings and fly away. Pope Francis said once ‘the Christian should never be sad – do not be sad people. Our happiness comes not from owning a lot of stuff, but because we have met a person who can give meaning to our lives. With Jesus we should never be alone, and never sad.’ Osho Rajneesh once wrote ‘Sadness gives depth. Happiness gives height. Sadness gives roots. Happiness gives branches. Happiness is like a tree going into the sky, and sadness is like the roots going down into the womb of the earth. Both are needed, and the higher a tree goes, the deeper it goes, simultaneously. The bigger the tree, the bigger will be its roots. In fact, it is always in proportion. That's its balance.’