Our tendency is to put a stop to it. You mustn't feel that way, is a common prescription. A male pastor, for example, and a hurting sister can make a very uncomfortable situation. A man, as a rule, hates it when the tears start. He ll do anything to stop the flow of feeling.
Tears can make a person feel helpless and out of control.
We must seek God s help to get us past this place. If we can recognize our own feeling of inadequacy and what is behind it, we are better equipped to sit quietly by as another human being weeps. As counselors, we must come to the place where we are not afraid of pain. We must not be afraid to sit quietly in the face of another s suffering. On the other hand, there are those people who should be discouraged from talking.