Weltschmerz

I discovered a great word the other day that seemed to sum up my worldview. Of late, I've felt more and more saddened by what I see going on in the world (Iraq, Washington, Haiti, Tiger Woods—doesn't matter). I pray for peace, shalom-style. But I still feel sad.

That's when I discovered Weltschmerz: "Sadness over the evils of the world . . . " (American Heritage Dictionary). I told my co-workers about it, and we all resonated with it.

Later I wasn't near my AHD (online), so I looked the word up in the dictionary.com app on my iPod. I was shocked by the different definition. "Sorrow that one feels and accepts as one's necessary portion in life; sentimental pessimism." Next chance I got, I looked again at the AHD definition. It continued, "especially as an expression of romantic pessimism." So there is a similarity between the two definitions, but I was able to allocate the first half of AHD's to something I resonated with.

Weltschmerz is a German word meaning "world pain." In my mind, it's too bad it took on such Eeyoreism. A Christian worldview sees the pain in the world and feels genuine sadness. But there's always hope in the present, based on God's faithfulness in the past, looking expectantly toward the future redemption, resurrection, and restoration. According to the dictionary, Weltschmerz places its hope squarely in the past, if indeed there is any hope at all.

I propose a Christian Weltschmerz that motivates us to action as we work toward and wait for our final redemption.