Suffering, is it a problem?

[markdohle]

Suffering, is it a problem?

 

During our ‘Self-Confrontation’ retreat on Saturday evening we had an open discussion.  These discussions tend to bring out some deeper aspect of any given  retreat that was not addressed directly.  The floor was open to just about any topic that would be brought up.  The problem of suffering came up and those who shared did so deeply and with courage.  This is not surprising in the least, for this retreat would attract courageous souls, who can step out and share things deep and personal about their lives.

In math, when you add up 2+2 you always get 4.  So it is problem that is easily solved.  Philosophy seeks to find some answer to the problem of evil, but since it is still being asked, it is obvious that it has yet be solved.  Problems should be solvable, just like the problem of what is wrong with my car.  A car breaks down and we find ways to fix it.  Sometimes it may take time to figure out but in the end we do.  Until the time comes to junk it. In either case, problem solved.

In our human journey, when dealing with suffering, 2+2 does not equal four at all, but perhaps just a long row of questions marks.  So we could say (human life) + (why we have to suffer) = (???!???). 

Are problems and mysteries the same thing?  I don’t believe so.  We can confuse the terms I believe.  A mystery is something lived out and if thought about we can only go deeper into the mystery, but the journey never really is solved.  So we live one day at a time, get through it, and we live through it the next day.  Just one day at a time. 

It would be nice if we could solve the problem of heart/gut wrenching suffering yet we can’t.  We can try to fix our lives in such a way that suffering is reduced, yet there will always be people who can’t be fixed or helped in ways that we would like.  In some ways we are powerless when it comes to this mystery.  Yet we are called to minister to one another in hope and to bear one another’s burdens.  As Christ Jesus did ours and still does.

One day at a time sweet Jesus, one day at a time, is from a song.  Yet I believe it is a good prayer.  For days pass quickly, the years fly by and in the end we are here for such a short time, that all we can do is to get through the good days and bad days and those in between. 

Faith is not easy when God and the world does not work the way we would hope for and like.  To have a world where justice is workable, where the innocent do not suffer or if they do, get some kind of tangible breakthrough of God in their lives is something many long for…..yet the awful mystery is that we live in a world where the above is seldom achieved.   In many lives all people experience is injustice, slavery and suffering and then they die.  End of story, or is it?

Christians have the ‘story’ of Jesus, his life, sufferings and death.  What happened to him was unfair, unjust and truly horrible.  He died in darkness and a failure.  His followers scattered and dispirited.  Yet they lived through it, they had no choice, and in the end the unexpected happened, the impossible, he did as he promised…..He rose from the dead! 

The unexpected is in all of our futures I believe, so just one day at a time sweet Jesus, one day at a time.