Henceforth, when we feel the hammers of life beating on our heads or on our hearts, we can know–we must know–that he is here with us, taking our blows.

Every tear we shed becomes his tear. He may not yet wipe them away, but he makes them his. Would we rather have our own dry eyes, or his tear-filled ones?

He came. He is here. That is the salient fact. If he does not heal all our broken bones and loves and lives now, he comes into them and is broken, like bread, and we are nourished.

from Making Sense Out of Suffering
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Gender-neutral version:

Henceforth, when we feel the hammers of life beating on our heads or on our hearts, we can know–we must know–that God is here with us, taking our blows.

Every tear we shed becomes God’s tear. God may not yet wipe them away, but God makes them God’s own. Would we rather have our own dry eyes, or God’s tear-filled ones?

God came. God is here. That is the salient fact. If God does not heal all our broken bones and loves and lives now, God comes into them and is broken, like bread, and we are nourished.

from Making Sense Out of Suffering