Compassion in the Face of Suffering

Many people have difficulty keeping a conversation positive, even (especially) in the church. Complaining is so much easier and sometimes seems more fun. We know that we should not share that “little story” or what we overheard or speculate beyond the facts we have. Yet, when we’re in the middle of it, stopping ourselves can seem rude or prudish. It’s what we have to do, however. We know that words hurt more than most sticks and stones. We remember words long beyond when a bruise would have healed. And many of us hold onto hurtful words far longer than we do compliments, which we hesitate to accept.

We only have to look at how our sisters and brothers of the Pacific Islands, let alone our indigenous peoples of Australasia feel at times like this. This is especially true when our politicians make cutting and derogatory remarks on issues that will be life or death in the future for these peoples. Also how our brothers and sisters feel after the arrogant dismissal and attacks on faithful people of other faiths. It has not been a good week for God’s people as many reject and denigrate anybody they view as alien.

The Church community is meant to be a place where words do not hurt, where we use phrases to build up and to heal. Our tongues should be instruments of peace, joy, and reconciliation, not tools of destruction and discord. Words travel quickly in a community. We must all work together and pray for one another to be sure that our words are part of the work God is doing here. If they are not part of community building no matter what that community is made up of, then they are joining with the forces that oppose God. We are called to renounce those forces and their activities! Let us resolve to speak well of one another, to refrain from complaining, and to use our words to build and support one another. Let us also work on accepting compliments and hearing good things about ourselves.

The life of Jesus and what we see and hear of that life from scripture calls the church to risk and sacrifice. God does not call the church to glorify suffering for its own sake, to devalue itself. If we look at Mark 8 we can see that he recognises the power of evil forces, which include the ways by which we refer to one another. Whether one understands that language metaphorically or more concretely, no one can deny the strength and intractability of evil. The risk and sacrifice to which this passage calls the church results from confronting that strong, tenacious evil.

But there is more to answering Jesus than any of these paths. Jesus chose to enter into the fullness of human life, including the immense suffering, agony, and travails of tears. He answered these great trials with his life. I do not mean merely that he died on the cross. Jesus was in agony and filled with compassion for the suffering long before the reality of the cross. Jesus was with the lepers, the hungry, the evil possessed, the widows, orphans, and adulterers long before the cross. Anyone who has walked among the suffering knows this kind of agony.

More sympathies are with Peter’s astonishment, when Jesus remonstrated with him and challenged him about following God’s way. However, my heart tells me Jesus calls us to move with love toward suffering, using the love and compassion with which we have been blessed. We are not called to pick and mix those suffering we will love and show compassion to. Let our lives be practice and proof of the way we are called to love one another through Christ.