*No Man Is an Island* Suffering

Wow. I forget, sometimes, how different of a theology Catholics have. I was reminded in this chapter of "No Man.." I should have guessed from the chapter title, "The Word of the Cross" and I suppose I sort of got the idea in the first few lines... but this quote really pulls together what this chapter was about: "The Lord did not create suffering. Pain and death came into the world with the fall of man. But after man had chosen suffering in preference to the joys of union with God, the Lord turned suffering itself into a way by which man could come to the perfect knowledge of God" (89).

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Hm. Well, I could talk about everything I disagree with in this chapter.. primarily the fact that I don't think Jesus' death on the cross, while important, is the key to our lives as Christians. Merton insists that death on the cross overcame death [for us]. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE RESURRECTION!? I don't think it was mentioned once.

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Ok, so, here's what I'd like to ponder. "Suffering without faith is a curse" (83). So, when tribulations and struggles and AWFUL things come our way, we have to keep the faith. We cannot believe for just a day or just in one instance but constantly. As people of faith we are called to be in relationship with God... think about your relationships... are they just a shot here and there? Our relationships are about love and if we love God we keep on going even when the going gets tough because we know God will pull us out of the mire, out of the darkest times, out of the valleys of death because of God's grace, forgiveness and overwhelming love.

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What suffering have you been experiencing lately?

Do you believe God's love overcomes that?

How is your faith doing? Hanging in there?

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Be encouraged.

Know there is resurrection to come.

Know that it is the love of Christ that surpasses all understanding.

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peace be with you