SUFFERING

If there is one word that perhaps best describes the events of Good Friday that word is “suffering”. Jesus suffered in an indescribable way as did those who loved and followed him. That suffering manifested itself in severe mental, physical, spiritual and emotional pain. It was deep seated and deeply felt. Jesus's cry to his Father about feeling forsaken is a verbal indication of how painful that suffering really was.

All of us have suffered. Some of us are presently doing so. We all will again. Suffering is part and parcel of our human existence. The question that arises amidst suffering is "Why?" Anne Morrow Lindberg once reflected: "I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering also taught, all the world would be wise since everybody suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness and the willingness to be vulnerable."

Suffering for suffering's sake is empty, even futile. Yet, even mournful suffering (as at the death of a loved one), understood suffering (knowing that it is the result of some foolishness on our part), patient suffering (while in the process of recovery), loving suffering (while taking care of an aged parent), open suffering (realizing that we are mortal), and vulnerable suffering (because we cannot escape it) – even all that, even altogether, is not enough.

For no matter how much we understand what suffering is all about, even understand why we are suffering in the first place, sometimes even then, to use a sport's metaphor, we blow the whistle before the game is over. We allow ourselves to be satisfied with suffering for suffering's sake because we suffer in honest grief, love, patience, understanding.

It is important to be fully present while in the throes of suffering and pain, as Jesus was. It helps us to focus on the cause of the suffering, which in and of itself is a learning and teaching experience. If we do not learn from our experience, if we do not understand even a little why we are suffering, and even if the cause of our suffering was outside our control, the pain will be even greater the next time around.

But suffering eventually comes to an end. And with the end comes resurrection, comes new life. Without that knowledge, without that understanding, the present pain can be and just might be unbearable. Jesus endured the tremendous physical suffering on the cross, with all the mental, emotional and spiritual pain that went with it because somehow in some way he knew the suffering would end in resurrection. That is why the suffering of Good Friday must be seen in the light of Easter Sunday.

That is why the sufferings we endure during our own – and many – Good Fridays must be seen and understood in the light of and knowledge that our Easter Sundays, our resurrections to new life, will follow, somehow in some way.

Happy Easter and Happy Easters!