What’s the Saddest Word?

Earlier this week, I sat in a circle with a group of wonderful ladies. To inspire conversation, the question was posed: In your opinion, what is the saddest word in the English language? 

After a moment of reflection, Lacy held up her hand and said, “I have two. ‘Barren’ and ‘goodbye’.” As women, we could relate to both words. After all, Celine Dion has an entire song devoted to the latter word. But barren. It’s most every girl’s dream to produce children. Yet we knew that Lacy’s word went much deeper than that. It was a word that touched each of our souls and fed into the other answers given.

Sally thoughtfully suggested “unfulfilled.”

Betty chimed in with “abandoned … neglected … alone.” 

Clarissa added “hopeless … orphaned” — with a much deeper implication than having no parents. 

I have to admit, to voice such words brought a somberness to the room. A heaviness with which we sat for a time until we were led into a period of sharing the “whys” of our choice of words. No doubt, each answer spoke of life lived. Of experiences each has had over her lifetime.

Oh, there are many “saddest words” in the English language. Just do a quick Google search.

Heartbroken.

Betrayed.

Wistful.

If only.

Unrequited.

Almost.

And if we want to go with a phrase, Google offers those as well.

I don’t value you.

I don’t love you.

Might have been.

We would be remiss not to acknowledge such sad words as war, racism, division, diagnosis, etc. 

And what about Ernest Hemingway’s shortest and saddest six word novel? “For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.”

Talk about some gloomy words and phrases. But they are all common to man, and they all come from a raw place in the soul because, in one way or another, they each come from an experience one has had with life. You have your own. I have mine.

And the Lord’s disciples had theirs. 

“I am going away.” 

For three years these men walked with Jesus in a place of overwhelming connection with God Himself. They had been able to talk with Him, walk with Him, ask Him anything and have Him speak into their very ears and heart, and now He says, “I’m going away.”

Now go back to that list of words and read them from the disciples point of view. 

Barren. 

Goodbye.

Unfulfilled.

Abandoned.

Neglected.

Alone.

Hopeless.

Orphaned.

Heartbroken.

Even betrayed.

Do you think they might have been experiencing any of these “saddest words”? You bet they were. All of their hopes and dreams were crashing down around them: the coming kingdom, God’s righteous rule, of finally being free from the Romans where life would be good. 

I feel sure Jesus knew they wouldn’t understand. It wouldn’t be the first time. But He also knew that His going was necessary because it made a way for a bigger story. A larger outpouring. A more expansive kingdom. 

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send Him to you.” John 16:7

Multiple sermons could be preached on that one verse, but let’s just consider this one: What if we were to look at these saddest words as opportunities for a fresh outpouring of God’s Spirit into our own? A place of greater anointing? Of love? Of ministry? What if we allowed His Spirit access to those places of brokenness and hopelessness? That we allowed Him to give us life, fill us with Himself, welcome us into His Fatherly arms?

Life would look different, would it not? These words would look different, because we would see them as opportunities toward life rather than destructive forces that suck the energy right out of us. 

It was quite a list those women gave me. Sad words. Somber words. But we said our goodbyes that evening with the one word on our lips and in our hearts that trumped them all. The life giving word:

Jesus.