Dear Friends,

A few nights ago, I was doing a devotion that mentioned Simon of Cyrene.  He was the man at Calvary that was made to help Jesus carry the cross. It prompted me to reflect on how suffering is viewed.

When it comes to things we can’t fully understand, pain in the world is close to the top of the list. It seems only normal to try to avoid pain and suffering at all costs, and I think as Americans, our culture and lifestyle reflect our extreme disdain for discomfort. We have been learning in our most recent theology group that Americanized versions of eastern religions are becoming more popular, in part because some eastern belief systems, such as Buddhism, claim to have the answer to eliminating suffering. But despite our best efforts, we still experience hardships all throughout the course of life.

There are different explanations for why this might be, but it is safe to say that no one has quite figured it out. Even when we reason that suffering is a natural consequence of the fall, it somehow doesn’t seem like a satisfactory answer. This is especially true when considering the terrible cruelties and abuses that little children endure. Our minds have a tough time coping with how God, who is all good, can possibly allow such things to occur.

I won’t go into the varying theological explanations offered as an attempt to put people’s minds at ease on this issue. I am definitely no theologian myself.  I have to believe, though, that as much as my heart breaks for others going through extreme hardships, God’s heart breaks even more. I don’t believe that He is indifferent towards our suffering, else why would He reveal Himself as a loving, compassionate Father? Following this logic, I also must believe that pain serves a purpose–something beyond the common, almost cliché answer that suggests pain necessarily brings us closer to God. That answer seems incomplete to me because while pain can bring us closer to Christ, it is also cited as one of the most common reasons people fall away from God or never form a relationship with Him to begin with.

When reading about Simon of Cyrene, a couple of things occurred to me.  The first is that Jesus could have chosen to not need help carrying the cross, but for whatever reason, it was part of God’s plan that Simon assist Him. We know that this was not mere coincidence because the Holy Spirit led Matthew, Mark, and Luke to include this event in their Gospel accounts. So one must pause to ask, why did this happen and what does it mean for me?

Could it mean that God was indeed hinting that our pain is not meaningless? Could it mean that our pain, in fact, serves a higher purpose and just might help in some way, however small, to bring glory to God? This is what it meant for Simon of Cyrene. Although we don’t know exactly why, God chose to include Simon of Cyrene as a part of His plan for Good Friday.

The second thought that occurred to me–and this is very important–is that Simon did not go looking for ways to be in pain so as to further God’s glory. In the three Gospels where Simon is mentioned, it is said that the soldiers compelled him to help Jesus. In other words, it would seem that they asked him, and perhaps even had to do a little convincing. I think that this point is imperative, because I do not intend to suggest we go looking for ways to be miserable.  Simon certainly didn’t. I do, however, believe that suffering in this life is inevitable…but not meaningless, and not, as some would try to argue, a seemingly sadistic way of coercing people into accepting Christ. We know that this cannot be accurate because hardships occur even after we come to know Jesus.

Although it has been correctly stated that there is no need for us to suffer for the benefit of the salvation of mankind because Christ suffered for us by being scourged, carrying the cross, and ultimately dying on it, I think that this train of thought misses the point. We know that God needs nothing. If He wanted to, He could choose to carry out His plan without us being involved. But He calls us to be His Body, instead. He allows us to participate in His saving plan by evangelizing, ministering, and praying with and for others. These things are obligations we hold as Christians, but more than that, they are privileges. I will reiterate because I think this statement deserves adequate reflection: Our self-sufficient God chose to allow us to participate in His plan, despite the fact that He could have done things a different way that did not involve fallen sinners. It is for this reason that I believe our suffering, too, has a purpose that just might help further the Kingdom of God.

Love in Christ,

Emily