This is the beauty of the Christian faith –A God that suffers with humanity.
Sorrow, grief and fear are parasitic companions of today’s
men and women. Dealing with them has led humanity through parallel lines that
had set us on diverse paths. It is awfully difficult to meet anyone not
acquainted with the trio across the divide of race, colour and faith. Human suffering
seems sine qua non to human existence.
It is attached to our own lives with visible impact in our communities,
educational institutions, hospitals, relationships, and it doesn’t seem to be
evaporating from human history soon. Why would it?
Politicians are further away from fulfilling promises and
reforms, the economies of the world are crumbling in an unpredictable twist, the middle
and upper class are barely surviving. With unemployment rate in its all-time
high there is hunger across the streets. Ceaseless war waged between Palestine
and Israel has led to the loss of thousands of lives. Syria unrest, countless
displaced from their homes with women and children being casualties. Tumult exists
in Ukraine and Russia, and extremism in Iraq, Somalia, Sudan and Nigeria. With
no solution in sight the feeling of hopelessness overwhelms the world opening
individuals and families to sorrow, fear, frustration and depression. The
portrait of the world as it now hangs before our eyes without an antidote and
hope is like starring at a dark grand canyon.
Some deal with suffering through forms of meditations like Yoga
and Zen, others through psychotherapy and counselling sessions. Some wallow in
frustration while they exert the force of their anger on people, often times,
on those who really love them. Some embark on more painful and lonely paths
than the suffering itself as they aim to drown their misery with drugs, alcohol
and sex, they fall into the trap of addictions, lose their minds and their lives
in the process. You can notice these parallel lines sets us on different paths.
It is no understatement that a higher percentage of our
generation is very angry with God. God, His image is at the receiving end of
human suffering and modern day philosophical bashing. Behind that anger aimed
at God is a rational question from a humanistic view. If God exists and his
sovereignty indisputable, why does human suffering persist?
In an
attempt to answer the question I have found the Judaeo-Christian faith to offer
a remarkable answer. The imminent image that’s worthy of casting inquisitive
eyes would be on the very symbol of the Christian faith, Jesus Christ. Christianity
doesn’t dispel the reality of misery and suffering from human lives by claiming
it’s an illusion or a thing of the mind. With unequivocal terms it reveals that
human suffering is first as a result of employing individual will for selfish motives
and the breaking of the moral law.
How we react through and to suffering shape us as tools to help
pull others from the gutter of pain and it ensures we don’t eject more
suffering to our immediate communities. Jesus is not only the saviour of the
world because he is God incarnate but because he embraced humanity’s tortuous reality.
He took upon Him hatred, rejection, betrayal, violence, pain, misery, sorrow,
death, grief, false accusations, loneliness and anger, through these colossal
feelings of pain he gave us the eyes and attitude to see and relate with human
suffering.
Compassion and Sympathy
It was not
once recorded in the scriptures that Jesus smiled or laughed. More often he was
grieved, sorrowful or weeping. His moments of mirth were infinitesimal to the
moments of His public display of sympathy for human suffering. He compassionately
acknowledged the sufferings of others; whether it be loss of a daughter, son or
of His dear friend, the challenging plight of the blind and lame, those with failing
health, the lonely and the rejects. Compassion and sympathy is a pair without
which we cannot confront suffering or comprehend it. It is only when we
acknowledge other’s suffering that we truly share in human destiny.
Companionship
Jesus
aware of His crucifixion made time to enjoy one last meal with His closest
companions. Jesus was only willingly to embrace the sufferings of the cross
because of companionship. To look upon their faces for the last time, to enjoy
warm company and see them smile over a bowl of meal. Never underestimate the
power that comes from being with people who part of your life. Suffering is extremely
difficult when we are alone. Without relationships that mould our lives we
barely have enough stamina to confront challenges. Our circle of relationships helps
us embrace what’s before us.
Forgiveness
He knew
His friend of three years would betray him. Yet he never spoke ill of that
friend. He refused to subject Judas to open shame or ridicule not because he
deserved it but he wouldn’t start any chain of events that leads to or increase
the suffering of others. You are likely to uncover Vengeance, bitterness, unforgiveness
as root causes of suffering. You don’t have to unleash your pain on others, it
is not a way to really deal with your hurt. Let go and you’ll find enough
strength in time to heal.
Hymns and People’s Experiences
It was
not recorded Jesus danced but he sure did sing a hymn at the night before his
trial. Hymns, often written from difficult phases of the writer’s life are inspired
songs that cover all aspects of man’s life. The hymn It is well with my soul was written by Horatio Spafford in one of
the darkest time of his life yet it has also encouraged many in their dark
nights. We might undergo suffering in different ways but the theme of suffering
is not peculiar to an individual. We find immense strength and help learning
from others.
Trust Bonds
Jesus
went to a secluded place to pray with the help of three of his friends who watched
as he prayed. No matter how helpless we feel we can still pray. The saviour of
the world fell on his face addressing God as, “O Father.” While he trusted in
the comfort of his visible friends he placed more confidence in the invisible
God. Man is a being with finite limits, sometimes fatigue wears people out as
they endure suffering with us, like the friends of Jesus who fell asleep as
they watched. That there are situations in our lives that we or anyone else
cannot pretty much do anything about is enough evidence that there is a
superior being (God) who can do something about them. A problem beyond man requires
an effort greater than man. God mourned the sufferings of humans from the beginning
of creation (Genesis 6) who better comforts us than him?
Embracing Suffering
Jesus had
asked, “My Father, if it is possible, may
this cup (of suffering) be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will”
and when he knew it was God’s will for him to suffer a humiliating death he
finally succumb willingly by saying, "My
Father, if it is not possible for this cup (of suffering) to be taken away
unless I drink it, may your will be done." Many times people lash out
at Christians when tragedy breaks, why God didn’t answer their prayer? They fault
them for praying to a God that they say, “Doesn’t exist.” But like Jesus the
will of God may take us through tough situations. The answer to the prayer of Jesus
was God speaking to him to go to the cross, suffer and die. Since prayer is a
means of communication, the answer to prayer is not measured by God doing
things our way, but He speaking back to us. The greatest level of faith a man
can exhibit is to embrace suffering purposefully –the God that sees you will
see you through it.
Hope
As he
hung on the cross dying among two thieves, His hands and feet nailed, and with thorn
bruised brows, he cried, "My God, my
God, why have you forsaken me?" Humanity seems to be at that point in
history, where the feeling of hopelessness and powerlessness grasps our hearts as
we witness evil perpetrated by our fellow man. On the cross of Jesus there was
no glory, no beauty, just a bleak setting of mourning women and mocking priests
at the background. But the two last statements of Jesus on the cross were:
"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit"
and “It is finished."
If it
is God’s will that we embrace death ultimately, we can still trust him as a
faithful friend and ally who is there till the end. His two last words are the
most powerful to overcome suffering because He acknowledges that a future
awaits a dying man –Remember the thief on his right hand? On the third day Jesus
rose from the dead, hope became tangible. Hope is a powerful drug for a grieving world.
Human suffering
eclipse the whole world, the best of us struggles with it. Getting mad at God
and anti-theism does not proffer a solution to it. God is not responsible for
our suffering; rather He came down to earth to partake of it showing us the way
out -that hope is visible in the example of Jesus Christ. This is the beauty of
the Christian faith –A God that suffers with humanity.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter
of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who
endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and
lose heart. Hebrews
12:2-3
Comments