THE ROOT OF SUFFERING

Every time we go through dark moments, and we feel that we cannot take one more step, we ask ourselves, what is the purpose of suffering? Why do I have to go through these painful circumstances? Is there a purpose or is this a random event that just happened to me?

It may be a small and temporal suffering or it may be a very destructive and painful circumstance. How should I respond to my ordeal? Am I a victim? Is God responsible for what I am going through? Maybe others are to blame for my misfortune. What is the purpose of my suffering? Could it be a punitive act on God’s part, an act of discipline? Maybe this painful circumstance is merely a natural happening, with no real purpose.

For most of us living in third world countries, our worldview of suffering is affected by our culture. We tend to identify ourselves with the suffering Christ. He was a good man, just as we are good people; yet he suffered under the system , was beaten without reason just as we are. Every time we go to a Catholic church, we can see the Christ defeated, with his mouth open, bleeding and beaten just as we are. We are good people; we have not committed a crime, but we are under the system . The problem is that under the system the suffering Chris is defeated and stays that way. There is little or no mention of the resurrection and victory over death. This produces a spiritual sense of hopelessness for the present and the future.

This is the reason that the hope the Gospel brings is so important. For a Christian, suffering should have a definite meaning: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

James 1:2-4