The Shock of SufferingÀpẹrẹ

WE ARE SUFFERING 

The Word of God is more relevant now than ever before. God’s Word is what we need to guide us through turbulent times. As we navigate the uncertainties of this pandemic, we are being tested to see how deeply rooted and grounded we are in His Word. The Word of God is the only thing that can sustain us during these troubled times.

Believers around the world are experiencing suffering on different levels. Some on respirators; others waiting to hear the doctor’s report from physicians who themselves are overwhelmed with more work than they can handle. Even I have been inundated with calls from pastors, leaders, and friends, helping to ease their anxiety while dealing with my own. People from all over the world are in various predicaments, including those feeling claustrophobic because they have been shut in so long in response to CDC regulations. Due to the invasive nature of this pandemic, we have been so preoccupied with our own suffering that we’ve failed to realize that the God we serve is emblematic of suffering itself.  

A certain amount of suffering comes with making drastic life changes because of circumstances beyond our control. However, if we put our suffering in the context of the two-thirds world, I wonder what they would think of our suffering. Would other countries think we were suffering in our mini-mansions and even low-income housing conditions compared to what they experience on a daily basis? Would other countries offer their empathy in light of our level of suffering?  

Suffering, then, becomes relative. I wonder, when we stand before God and in the face of the Apostles, who were either beaten to death, stoned, sawed asunder, crucified upside down, or beheaded, if they will accept our definition of suffering in the context of their experiences? How does our suffering compare?

One of the most common questions during a time of crisis is: “How could God be so good and allow such suffering?” God does not hide suffering from the conversation He is having with us about faith. Jesus did not hide suffering from his followers. In fact, when he appealed to people to follow him, the criteria included each carrying his/her own cross.