A Theology of Suffering

In my spiritual formation class, we’ve been talking about suffering. My professor said that we should develop a theology of suffering, as this is an issue we'll be confronted with repeatedly in ministry.

I have thoughts on suffering. Many of which I have discussed in this blog. I'm not sure I have a full theology, though.

I know I have said that since Jesus suffered, we should not expect to escape suffering. Suffering is a part of this life. Suffering may come because of the influence of sin and death in our world. It may come because of the work of evil forces in this world. It may come from the wrong decisions of others. Or, it may simply be a result of our own stupidity. 

We may suffer from abuse or neglect. We may suffer from injustice or oppression. We may suffer from physical or mental illness. We may suffer from addictions. We may suffer from toxic relationships or broken relationships or a lack of relationships. We may suffer from financial hardship or poverty. We may suffer from acts of community violence or from natural disasters or from broken systems. 

But we will all suffer.

I do not believe that suffering comes from God. I believe He can use all things for His glory and for our good, but I do not think He sends us suffering for our spiritual growth. We see Him in Scripture allowing suffering, as He did to Job, but even then, it was the enemy who did the inflicting. I read an interesting book this past summer where the author proposed all suffering attributed to God in the Old Testament is actually God removing His protection and allowing enemy forces - physical or spiritual - to inflict suffering, which is a different way of looking at things than God inflicting the suffering Himself.

Regardless, we will all go through suffering to one degree or another at various times during our life. We have all suffered. We will all suffer.

Despite the popular saying, what doesn't kill us doesn't necessarily make us stronger. Sometimes, suffering breaks us. To say suffering makes us stronger is a way of silver-lining the suffering. Of diminishing it. Of suggesting it is for our good and therefore we should be, I don't know, grateful? Telling someone who is suffering that they will come out stronger ignores the suffering itself.

No one wants to suffer. No one enjoys suffering. Suffering is awful. We wish we could escape it. Even if we could see how in the long run, we may come out stronger or we may be able to help others because of our present suffering, that doesn't mean we would choose it.

What then? How should we respond to suffering?

I proposed in class that I believe it is the Church's role to address suffering. If there are people who are suffering with unmet needs or who are suffering alone, I think that’s to the shame of the Church. The Church is supposed to be there accompanying others. We are God's hands and feet and embodied presence in this world. We should be God's presence to those who are suffering.

After all, Jesus was. While on Earth, Jesus was constantly found among the suffering. 

Jesus also talked about addressing suffering in very practical ways. Feeding the hungry. Clothing the naked. Welcoming the stranger. The Old Testament has multiple ordinances for taking care of the vulnerable, specifically widows, orphans, and foreigners. If there are people in need, we are supposed to meet those needs.

Now, when you have urbanization and corrupt government systems that leave people behind, we are talking about a greater need than the Church can literally fill. However, if we were actually doing the work God commanded us to do in our jurisdiction, in our own areas of influence, our influence spreads, and more people would be joining the Church and helping to meet those needs. That is how you build God‘s kingdom. It’s not through power control or might or force, but through love and service and surrender and suffering.

In the work I do with those who have experienced trauma, most often child abuse or sexual assault of some kind, I see how often the experiences that they’ve been through have become their identity. It becomes who they are. And I tell them, what you have been through is only a piece of your story. It’s a chapter in the whole book of who you are and what your life can be. Be careful not to name the whole book of you after that one chapter of suffering.

For those of us who are Christians, our identity, the name of our book, should be rooted in Christ. Should be Christ. It should not be the things that we have been through or done, whether good or bad.

Yes, we are people who have experienced suffering, but that is not our identity.  When we have that rootedness in who we are in Christ, then we can say about our suffering what Paul said about his, that he counts it all as loss in comparison to knowing Jesus and the promises we have in Him.

God promises that in the next world, we will have a new life in a world where there will be no more suffering. There will be no more tears. No more sorrow. We will be taken care of, and we will live in perfect harmony with one another and with our loving Creator God.

Even if we don’t see redemption from the suffering now, we are promised it will come in the resurrected life. There’s no making sense with the suffering we pass in this world. There’s no making sense of why did God allow this or not allow that. There are no clear answers this side of our new life in Him.

The bigger questions I think we need to ask are, where was the Church when we went through suffering? Why didn’t the Church step in?

Where suffering has gone unanswered - I think we as a Church will one day be held accountable. We will most certainly be held accountable for suffering we have directly inflicted and caused. For now, we should be holding the Church accountable for doing what the Church is supposed to do - accompanying the suffering, meeting the needs of our communities, and embodying Christ. 

We can't meet all the needs of everyone, it's true. We need the support of the government to help take care of the great needs of our country and our world.

But we can be present. We can be people of peace. We can be people of love. We can serve our circles. We can be a spiritual oasis in dry ground. We can accompany people in those dark moments of suffering. Presence alone is a powerful healer.

Little by little, person by person, what a difference we could make.

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