As we have come
to accompany Jesus in this week when we enter into his paschal mystery which is
the suffering, death, resurrection of our Lord, we also reflect his humanity
that took upon himself the human sufferings, rejection, betrayals and sin so
that we be freed from them all.
-We are sinners
who have compounded the anguish of sin around us
-We are simple
people who tend to act like kings expecting respect and reverence; our pride
has prevented us from being Christians
-We have been
fickle and wavering to stand by your values and principles
The suffering in
our world seems overwhelming at times. It cries out from countries devastated
by famine, afflicted by the pestilence of AIDS and torn apart by an unending
cycle of violence and war. It confronts us in the immediacy of our own country:
families crowding into slum and shelters, and the elderly living alone and
lacking adequate medical care, as well as in the senseless shootings and
bombings that erupt every now and then. Suffering afflicts our own flesh in
sickness and weighs down our spirits in depression and discouragement. Yes, our
world is awash in pain and suffering. How do we choose to respond?
a) Denial is one of
the easiest and least fruitful reactions. We see, we hear, and we turn away as
quickly as possible — tune into another channel, or bury the troublesome front
page with the glowing promises of the ads or the sports page. We put off
visiting the friend in the hospital; we forget the dire warnings of our doctor
about the consequences of not making unwelcome lifestyle changes. Like children
we hide from what we don't want to see and grow deaf to any summons that
threatens our comfort level.
B) Discouragement and defeatism are
another unfruitful response. It is all beyond us so we do nothing. We withdraw
from life, allowing sadness to paralyze us. With our face to the wall, we shut
out the light and live in a world of gathering darkness. Hopelessness prevails.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, we may grow angry, but instead of being
energized by our passion, we allow it to fester into bitterness. We complain
endlessly about suffering's unfairness, raging against the injustice of it all.
We blame everyone but ourselves, castigating "them," including God,
for being so heartless. There is no good news, no realistic hope of change. Suffering is truly a two-edged sword,
cutting and dividing, revealing and changing. It can either deform us or
transform us, never leaving us the same. Just as it can discourage and defeat
us, so also it can make us stronger and more open of mind and heart. And what
makes the difference? Our response to suffering?
"Pain will occur; suffering is a choice." We often use the two terms interchangeably. But they are not. Pain
seemed the immediate response to something hurtful. A wide range of experiences
came to mind — everything from a sliced finger to major surgery, from the
relatively brief encounter with the dentist's drill to the all day, most every
day of something more chronic like arthritis. I could also easily recall the
times when my heart hurt but the pain came not from clogged arteries but
from another's words
or actions...or my own.
i. Pain comes in many sizes and degrees. Each individual experiences it differently depending on a host of
variables.
ii. All pain is psychosomatic.
It may begin in my body, but it eventually reaches into the very fabric of my
being, or it can begin in the mind or the spirit yet end up as a stomach cramp
or a bad headache. Doctors say that a patient's attitude makes a major
difference in something as organic as the progression of a tumour or healing
after surgery. And we all know how even a bad cold can darken one's disposition
and how a bad day at work can result in an upset stomach.
iii. Despite our instinctive reaction to it, pain is basically good; it is a healthy response that
tells us something is wrong. If we were unable to feel pain, we would have to
be on constant alert to dangers we could not perceive. Hot water would scald
us; sores would become infected wounds. Grief, our own or that of others, would
leave us untouched. Numbed to the world around us and inside us, we would be
only half-alive.
iv. Suffering is our response to pain; it is the attitude we choose when we experience it. We can, for
example, simply ignore the pain we are feeling, or we can let it become the
focus of our concentrated attention.
v. Pain gets our attention,
warning in strong language that something is wrong. Put more positively, pain
calls for change
Acknowledging
our pain not only refrains from denial but also refuses exaggeration; it keeps
pain in perspective.
vi. Mine is neither the only pain nor the worst pain. Despite its immediacy and insistence, it is not even the whole of
my reality. I am left with the freedom to choose, if not whether I will suffer,
at least how I will suffer.
vii. It is this attitude of receptivity that pain tests. Redemptive suffering moves in quite a different direction. Having
acknowledged pain with some appropriate expression of our naturally felt resistance,
we remain at peace because we know that a good Giver is always giving good
gifts.
We wait in
patience for time to reveal the potential in this strangely wrapped present. We
trust, knowing that we are in for surprises as time reveals the potential
hidden in what we have received.
"The iron stove
glows red with fire, restrains the heat that I desire.
When I approach
to warm my hands, respect is what the fire demands.
Too close, my
skin begins to smart. Too far, the cold creeps round my heart.
The paradox is
clear to me. The risk lies in proximity.
Permit me, Lord,
to come so near that your warm love will melt my fear.
Loving Father,
let me walk in the footsteps of your Son during these holiest of days. May I
never fear the demands of his love or the risks of his sacrifice. Amen. " (Roger A. Swenson)
