On Suffering

If there is one guarantee in our world, one that remains constant from the time Jesus walked here on Earth until now, it’s that this world is full of suffering. But suffering isn’t evidence for the

absence of God. Suffering, instead, calls us to take refuge from the world in the

arms of the Father.

In the book of Psalms alone, the word “refuge” is written nearly 45 times. 45 times we are called

to find safety and rest with Jesus. 45 times we are called not to ignore the troubles of this world,

but to take comfort and peace in knowing that God sees our pain. 45 times we are reminded that He sees our sorrow, our worries and our inclination to run away from Him because the world constantly reminds us of its brokenness. 

As the world reminds us of its brokenness, we are reminded of the gentleness of or Creator.

However, sometimes the circumstances we face seem shitty, and deeply unfair. Many of you have asked, “Where is a good and loving God amidst our pain?”

Here I offer two theologies and invite you to ponder whichever feels the most safe and gentle to you. This is not a place where we lecture, force, or follow a strict doctrine or set of beliefs about suffering. Here we recognize that suffering is a mystery and we have the freedom to explore possibilities that go beyond rigid beliefs. 

Liberation Theology: 

Under the backdrop of the Cold War in the 1970s, Latin America was defined by poverty, oppression, and authoritarian rule. For some, it’s hard to imagine the violence and oppression that the Latin American people faced in the 70s. For others, you may find yourself easily envisioning what their hardships looked like as you face battles of your own. 

I think about what the people of that region must have been experiencing at the time and I am sure many were questioning where God’s hand was during their hardships. Peruvian priest and theologian, Gustavo Gutiérrez, offers a response to this questioning in his work, “A Theology of Liberation.”

Liberation Theology is rooted in the belief that peace cannot occur without systems of justice. Poverty, he offers, is perpetuated by a society that favors the wealthy and emphasizes making money. And while society places great emphasis on the need for wealth, God has a “preferential option for the poor.” 

Gutiérrez does not claim that God loves the poor more than the rich nor does God favor those in poverty. Instead, Liberation Theology argues that God has a special concern for the oppressed and that the church’s mission and actions should reflect liberating the marginalized. God does not take pleasure in the pain that we experience; on the contrary, our Creator grieves alongside us. 

Liberation Theology offers a view of suffering in which the pain we experience is not God’s will for us. Suffering is the result of unjust political, economic, and social systems that cause harm and schisms between the rich and poor. Gutiérrez and followers of Liberation Theology call on the church and religious leaders to reform systems of harm and align the church with the oppressed and their struggle for dignity and liberation.

God does not want his children to suffer and is actively on the side of those who do. While human suffering has taken many shapes across decades, regions, and those who are afflicted, Liberation Theology may provide you comfort in knowing that God does not create the human systems that perpetuate suffering. Conversely, God actively resists suffering, offers comfort to the afflicted, and calls people to change the unjust human conditions that create harm. 

Ignatian Spirituality:

Ignatian spirituality dates back to the 16th Century as a framework shaped by the experiences of St. Ignatius of Loyola. The central tenet of this framework is that God is with us in all aspects of our lives. Rather than needing to retreat somewhere outside of the loudness of the world to find God, He travels with us through the chaos of our lives, including within our suffering. 

St. Ignatius was a soldier who sought fame and honor prior to a leg injury that devastated his military career and left his femur shattered. Consider that in the 16th Century, Ignatius did not have access to the miracles of modern medicine that we do now. Doctors were not trained to the same degree and anesthesia and pain relievers were not a consideration. Ignatius, without a doubt, experienced his own suffering both physically and in mourning a career path he could no longer achieve. 

Whether our suffering is physical, mental, or somewhere in between, Ignatian spirituality gives us rest from our suffering in the hands of God. God does not cause the suffering that we face but He is present through our life trials. 

In Ignatian spirituality, individuals are asked to find God’s presence in all things. As a contemplative in action, one finds God not only in formalized prayer or within the walls of a church, but in the nitty-gritty work of the world. By stopping to pause and reflect, individuals use their inner reflections to guide their outward actions. Such contemplation is only deepened by suffering. 

In moments of suffering and pain, if it feels right for you, look for God. Whether through formal prayer, listening to encouraging music, journaling, or intentionally grounding yourself in moments of pain, look for the light that God provides. As Saint Ignatius lay in his sickbed, he experienced the presence of God, and his life was changed forever. 

Final Thoughts:

Perhaps you resonate with and find hope in both of these ways of thinking. Or, maybe you are left with more questions on the reason for suffering in our lives. You might want to believe in God’s role in advancing justice or finding God’s peace in pain but believing feels hard. Wherever you are in your spiritual practice, these frameworks are meant to offer you the encouragement that God does not leave us to suffer alone. 

Suffering is a mystery. And we may never have a satisfactory answer to why suffering is part of the human condition. However, one can both recognize and agonize over the suffering experienced in the world and in our daily lives and also seek to experience the presence of God. Recognizing suffering or even being discouraged by your own circumstances does not make you less Christian or spiritual or open to the Divine. Questioning suffering is human nature. 

God, however, sees us in this humanity.