Category: ON SUFFERING

“Weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning.”

I risked making a category for the theme of “Suffering,” even though I know that many might avoid learning about it as much as they (we) try to avoid experiencing it. So, unless you’re in a season of suffering right now, or know someone who is, you’ll probably be apt to skip these posts altogether. On the other hand, if you’re reading this, it means you’ve at least clicked on the title, so you must have some sort of interest (whether a personal or compassionate one).

Before I had a “dark night of the soul” season myself, I had compassion for sufferers, but didn’t really know how help them. I pastored three churches for about 30 years, and as I look back over my file of messages on this theme, I realize that though I taught biblically, engagingly (if I must say so myself), and compassionately – I really had very little idea of what I was talking about. I think it was all pretty much biblical but not very personal. It’s different with me now.

Now when I hear or read someone’s thoughts on suffering I wonder if they’ve felt significant pain in their own lives or not. If they haven’t, of course they’re not disqualified from teaching others about it, it’s just that there’s a difference between knowledge and wisdom, the latter coming from experience.

I’m not claiming to know everything there is to know about physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual misery; but I have lerned a few things since I’ve wept through a night or two and have also seen the joy that comes in the morning.

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It Takes A Breaking

Watchman Nee taught that the release of the inner man’s potential is contingent on the breaking of the outer man, which usually occurs through suffering. Compassion tends to seep out through the cracks created by hard blows and attaches itself to other damaged people. Our humanity-wide shared spiritual poverty is the lowest common denominator between …

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Poor Enough To…

I’ve always liked the beggar-to-beggar definition of evangelism – “…one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.” Since I feel more beggarly than ever these days, I’m drawn to “my people,” not so much as an authority on God, but poor enough to reach other poor folks. Befriending the Lord’s beloved is no heroic …

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Dealing with the Slaughter of the “Holy Innocents”

Have you ever given any thought to the parents of the babies that Herod murdered in order to do away with Jesus? How would they ever be able to deal with their loss? The Catholic Church calls the children “Holy Innocents.” If you’re Catholic you’ll know that the Church even has a special day, usually …

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