Santayana, the philosopher/poet, was not a theist. Theists are usually credible persons who believe in God, God who provides a cause and effect pattern for their lives. The atheist begins with nothing, and leaps forward in some faith oddity that, at first, disregards his later premises related to cause and effect. Once the physical world shows up he can use natural logic. Such a faith, for God believers, appears more difficult than faith premises that hold for a God presence creating origins. Santayana seems to have stalled in believing that earth system is exclusive. He nagged at various persons he felt serious about life, as to faith in God and immortality.
If this God/faith context is true, one accounts for even small occurrences as having meaning. One is tempted to try to trace back to origins, and forward to meanings. What is the meaning of tears? The physical scientist accounts for them through a study of glands, of emotions, of body needs. The primary use for tears is to lubricate the eye. Anyone troubled with dry eyes can well wish for tears. So there is a nature story to be told, but we here are far more interested in how to keep tears from falling, when ignition is from sorrows, pain, regret, denial – not from the primary physical need. The body has many overlaid functions, and accounts for both, but mystery in all.
These tears provide some insight to the soul, to the place of emotions, to the right or wrong in experience. We seem to know this intuitively, but the Scriptures give us some definitive insight into the tears of mankind, of the soul – even of God. We sometimes say that the shortest verse of the Bible is the one cited above: Jesus wept. That is true in the English although Pray without ceasing requires fewer Greek letters than Jesus wept. Such information ought to reduce some of the inconsequential emphases and oddities put on this verse, and on various other biblical verses.
A Bible concordance provides a full column of references to weeping that appear in the experiences of its characters. Persons wept over their children, over lost opportunities, over sorrow for wrongdoing, even over ecstasy in worship (Luke 7:44) – and so the story goes. King David suggested to God that He put tears into a bottle. (Psalm 56:8) Jesus wept, apparently three times in the Bible record. He wept over circumstances related to the death of Lazarus, he wept over the city of Jerusalem, and, apparently, he wept in the situation related to the crucifixion. One of the major accomplishments of paradise is that God will wipe away all tears from the eyes of his redeemed children. (Revelation 7:17; 21:4) God notes the overlaid function of human organs.
One wonders how far to go with this line of thought. Tears are an overlaid function, as other parts of the body provide overlaid functions. Two functions exist in the same places. The passage used for elimination of body fluid is the passage through which children are born. The vocal apparatus is important to us but secondary to the operation of the organs that permit us to breathe and ingest food. Tears can be accounted for as necessary to the health of the eyes, but there is another function in tears (as for other functions like laughter) that expresses the soul/emotional concerns of man – and of God. The second flow of tears has immortality in them, the first mortality only. Therein are some spiritual mysteries for us. Had I been approached by Santayana with his fear, and it was fear, I would have talked to him about the overlaid function. There is within the human being a sense of functioning in both the human (physical) life and the mystic (spiritual). God provides the overlaid spiritual life to the physical. There is a relationship but the overlay is different and must be attended in faith. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020