Theology of Suffering

View fullsize

Recently, I have been chatting with a friend about the theology of suffering. He is currently writing a philosophy of ministry final paper on the subject and asked me to write a devotional and reflective story from this past week about an encounter I had that explains our understanding of the theology of suffering. I pray this encourages you and inspires you to be present with the Lord as He reveals His presence, promise, and love in you and through you! 

*Names have been changed to protect identity and give privacy to those involved in the story.*

As I entered into the parking lot connected to my small back house I saw multiple cars and faces that were foreign to me. I had never seen these automobiles, or their owners, who were now standing with a seemingly impatient and concerned look upon their countenance. Our back house is part of a property that has a healing and prayer ministry operating from the front house. We are open during the hours of 9:30am-12pm on Friday mornings. The interesting aspect to this story was the fact that it was almost 3:00pm. I had just pulled in from a my normal Friday midday workout when I saw these hurting and interesting faces start to move toward my car. When I had parked and started getting out of my vehicle I looked up to see one of these faces almost in the driver's seat with me. His name is Donald. 

Don approached me in a hurried, discontent manner asking if I had the gift of healing and if I could pray for him because the other people at the healing ministry had "scared him off". I thought to myself, this couldn't be because of my personal relationships with the leaders of the ministry, yet I continued to stay present and listen to him. Before I could answer his request he was set on describing his immense dissatisfaction with not only the healing ministry leaders, but also with the Church as a whole. "The Church used to be healthy", he said, "the Church used to follow Jesus--you know that One Guy who traveled across the sea for a naked man roaming in the graves--whatever happened to these people?" All the while during his monologue, I stood patiently, attentive to the Lord, asking how I could best minister to my dearly hurting brother. 

Before I knew it 15 minutes had passed before his initial request to be prayed for healing. About 2 years ago Donald lost vision in his left eye due to retinal tearing and this past year started losing sight in his right eye from the same thing. He did not pursue medical treatment in faith of the Lord's healing and yet had not received healing after many times attending conferences, services, and asking for healers to heal him. He had a deep place of pain and suffering in him, not understanding why he couldn't get close enough to those with the gift of healing because of their rock star status. He could not find the answer to why he wasn't being healed and was now desperate for God to do something, anything. 

As the time passed, I finally asked if I could pray for him, for the Lord to heal his eyes right then and there. Yet, even before this happened, Don asked if I could just do things his way, "Don't you have a prophetic word for me? Word of knowledge? Can you just ask if God is going to heal my eye?" Not that I disregarded his questions, but I am not a magician and I certainly don't want to manipulate or quench the Spirit of the Living God, so I just simply started praying. I was interrupted half-way through by his question, "Did God show you if He was going to heal my eye or not?" Irritation, annoyance, you know the feeling. It was difficult to stay focused, to stay present, to stay present, yet I just wanted to press in for Donald. 

I responded, "Don, that's not usually how I pray, but I will ask the Lord if that's what you want me to do. Is that okay?" He nodded. Immediately when I closed my eyes, I felt the Lord whisper, "Ask him if he will love me the same?" What the heck is that supposed to mean? God, you want me to ask this guy THAT question? Wow. Does that mean you won't heal him? Or you will if he answers "yes"? I don't get it, but I just wanted to be obedient and present. Don asked me the same question, for a third time, while all this interior processing was happening, so I turned to him and told him, "Don, all I heard was, 'Will you love me the same?'" 

Tears and more pain. It was like a gunshot to the heart. I could literally see him wincing as if he had been stabbed in the back, and all I could do was stand there, hand on his shoulder, hoping the Lord would do what the Lord has promised to do: be God and love us. Don, in a defeated voice, "Does this mean that God isn't going to heal me?" I said back as gently as I could, "Don, I don't know. I don't know why God heals some and not others. I don't know why this is happening to you. I don't know a lot of the answers, but I do know that the Lord loves you and wants the best for you. All I heard was 'will you love me the same?'" 

This is not what Don wanted to hear. It is not what Don wanted to happen. It is not what Don or, to be honest, I, had in mind. I asked if we could pray again, but Don walked away with his wife that day not wanting to receive anymore. In fact, I could sense he didn't have room to receive the first place. The anger, bitterness and resentment toward the Church, the healing ministries, and the Lord, it filled his heart with emptiness and more pain. I prayed regardless because I believe the Lord can do far more than we can ask, think, or imagine. I continue to pray because of that reason and I believe the Lord will heal Don one day: just maybe not in the way he wants it. 

This is like the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5. Naaman has leprosy and seeks out healing in his own way. When he is told to wash in the Jordan seven times, he thinks that it would happen another way. For many, this is the understanding of the theology of suffering. All people suffer in the a wide diversity of ways. Many feel physical suffering as they have diseases and illnesses, while others lack food, clothing, and shelter. Many suffer from psychological affliction from families of origin, friends, and mentors. Suffering takes on many shapes and sizes, but it is a common theme amongst the human race. 

The reality present in this story and through understanding a greater theology of suffering is that we are called to demonstrate the reality, presence, promise, and love of Christ in our relational and incarnational approach to those around us. I could have demonstrated my own pain, my own suffering, and my own timing by simply ignoring Don. After all, it was my Sabbath day, and who heals on the Sabbath? Oh, yes. Jesus does. By simply being present with Don, I believe healing was already taking place. By simply remaining patient with Don, although I could have disagreed and "corrected" many bad theological assumptions, I believe comfort was being revealed. By just being with Don, I believe the love of Christ was overflowing. 

The catch to all this? To stay faithful and attentive to the Lord, and in doing so, to stay faithful and attentive to those suffering around us. It is simply put: loving God, neighbor, and self. If we are not willing to be obedient to what the Lord is leading us to, we may not be willing to see that person actually walk in the healing and hope the Lord has for them. Did I want to tell Don what I heard God speak to me? NO. Did I? YES. Do I believe that the Lord is unlocking a greater place of relationship of relationship with Don because of it? I hope so. 

I left that situation hurting for Donald as I sensed he was suffering as well. This is how God revealed Himself to us: as the One who sympathizes with our weaknesses, as the One who took the cross that we deserved, as the One who sits with us and calls us forth into life even knowing that some would forsake and reject His offer. I just wanted the best for Don and I believe this is what the Lord wants for us to know: that in the midst of our suffering, He understands, He is present, and He is always at work. It may not look the way we want, it may not come at the time we want, and it may not be what we thought we needed, but God is consistently loving and bringing about good. We rejoice in this reality of God's miraculous goodness in every circumstance because of our eternal hope and life in Christ Jesus. 

All of this to say that in the end, Don's story is the story of humankind. We are broken, needy, incomplete persons. We need healing, we need hope, we need comfort, we need God, and we need each other. I guess I write all of this to say that the more we can be present with God and each other, the more we will see the cure for suffering: God is with us and calls us to be with God. It might not make everything magically better (Don walked away not able to see...YET), but it will lead us to the ultimate place and reality of healing, comfort, and love: God's presence. Amen.