right kind of hurt
I am finally coming to the end of Rob Bell’s book and I am sorry for multiple entries related to the same book but I love some of the questions that it is bringing up in my own mind and as usual I would love to hear any thought you might have.
Towards the end of the book he talks about the relationship with Christians and suffering. I am not sure if I understand him correctly and he does not go into it a great deal but here is what is going through my head.
I have grown up with the idea that scripture teaches that Christians who fully live out their faith in an authentic and bold manner are highly likely to suffer because of their faith. Although this has never been a significant focus of any Christian community it has always existed as a theological undercurrent that is important to the faith. According to my best recollections I can’t remember exactly what form of suffering we are to expect or why exactly we are to suffer except that we are ‘true’ Christians.
The impression that I have always had is that we suffer because we oppose something that society holds in high value and because it is evil we stand united against it and thus are ridiculed and persecuted. I still think this mindset makes sense in many situations but I wonder if the promise of suffering isn’t something more.
I think Bell proposes that suffering for a Christian is not about opposing parts of society as much as it is fully engaging and interacting with the suffering that already exists all around us. Jesus followers, if they want to be like him, will jump in two feet first into the pain of poverty, sickness, injustice, sin... And in doing so experience the suffering along with those who suffer. Suffering comes not because we are against popular society but because we draw near to the least. We hold the hand of the AIDS patient and weep with them because we know that the disease is evil that destroys this person who is more loved then we may ever know by the Creator.
This then poses the question in my mind that even if I am right in the previous paragraph, aren't there certain things we should stand against? Or are we merely to be against something by striving to be for its opposite? In what circumstances should we expect persecution that are for what is good and just and not just because we are making asses of ourselves in public?
What is the right kind of hurt?
Towards the end of the book he talks about the relationship with Christians and suffering. I am not sure if I understand him correctly and he does not go into it a great deal but here is what is going through my head.
I have grown up with the idea that scripture teaches that Christians who fully live out their faith in an authentic and bold manner are highly likely to suffer because of their faith. Although this has never been a significant focus of any Christian community it has always existed as a theological undercurrent that is important to the faith. According to my best recollections I can’t remember exactly what form of suffering we are to expect or why exactly we are to suffer except that we are ‘true’ Christians.
The impression that I have always had is that we suffer because we oppose something that society holds in high value and because it is evil we stand united against it and thus are ridiculed and persecuted. I still think this mindset makes sense in many situations but I wonder if the promise of suffering isn’t something more.
I think Bell proposes that suffering for a Christian is not about opposing parts of society as much as it is fully engaging and interacting with the suffering that already exists all around us. Jesus followers, if they want to be like him, will jump in two feet first into the pain of poverty, sickness, injustice, sin... And in doing so experience the suffering along with those who suffer. Suffering comes not because we are against popular society but because we draw near to the least. We hold the hand of the AIDS patient and weep with them because we know that the disease is evil that destroys this person who is more loved then we may ever know by the Creator.
This then poses the question in my mind that even if I am right in the previous paragraph, aren't there certain things we should stand against? Or are we merely to be against something by striving to be for its opposite? In what circumstances should we expect persecution that are for what is good and just and not just because we are making asses of ourselves in public?
What is the right kind of hurt?
posted by Jon at
9:18 AM
4 Comments:
again, jon, i must send a shout out to your mutha. that's some good stuff you posted. i have never really thought about suffering as coming from identifying with the suffering of others, but i will now. i have only seen it in the past as persecution...and i guess i'll suck it up and refuse to blame that fact on the people who are always complaining about being persecuted.
We just got that book for Christmas! so now I'll have to read your posts as I go. I really liked what you reflected on about suffering with others, I feel like this really characterizes the life of Jesus, he took on our pain and sin and suffering. Then in us being Jesus to the world we walk with them and suffer with them. There is another veiw of suffering that challenges me. And that is the one of seeing Jesus in those who suffer in ths world, seeing Christ in the Millions with AIDS, seeing Christ in the alcholoic single mom at church , seeing Christ in all those who suffer around me, It is really easy for me to suffer by going against the flow( cause then I think that I am "cool" and unique" and i can even be kind of prideful, )it is harder for me to suffer with those who the world pushes aside, because then I am pushed aside to, but maybe , hopefully pushed closer to the heart of our Lord. thanks for a thoughful post - s
Jon, that was a really great post. I believe, as my wife said in the above comment, that Jesus did not shun or flee from suffering, but embraced it knowing that it would give the final word on God's goodness.
A friend in seminary said that we tend to avoid suffering ourselves, yet rejoice when we see folks in China or wherever being jailed and tortured for their Christian faith, like it somehow validates our beliefs. He said that we should embrace suffering ourselves while striving to end suffering in the world. I think he was onto something. Just some food for thought.
-Matt
i miss you.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home