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What? Suffering. Well yes, because life is about both joy and suffering. You can’t really separate them. Everyone suffers eventually.

Does God cause suffering? No. We suffer because we are human. Our earth suffers, others cause suffering, and our bodies cause suffering. It’s a normal part of living.

Some, sadly, suffer more than others. Those millions living in refugee camps, those in flooded or drought-stricken areas, those with long-term illnesses or with sick children, those living in war zones. But we all suffer through something.

God does not cause our suffering, but God can use our suffering to help us grow and change. God is the greatest recycler of our pain.

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As a writer, I understand this well. We are taught to put our main character up a tree and throw rocks at them; meaning the character has to face obstacles and overcome them to grow and change. If there is no conflict in a story, the story is boring.

We get that when we read a book or watch a film. But when suffering comes to visit us, we are often surprised. We might ask, “Why me?” “Why him? “She is so young! Why her?”

The thing is, you can’t see the good in suffering until it’s over. I remember when the economy crashed in the 90’s. It became clear that we would lose our house, enter bankruptcy, and destroy our perfect credit score. It was terrifying. But in retrospect, it taught us what was most important: keeping our family together and ensuring our kids had a roof over their heads and food to eat. It clarified our priorities.

Richard Rohr, in his book The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope for, and Believe, says:

“Only great love and great suffering are strong enough to take away our imperial ego’s protections and open us to authentic experiences of transcendence.”

I’d be very interested in how suffering has been a part of your growth experience. Remember, we can’t usually see it when we are in it, but knowing diamonds eventually come from pressed coal can help us navigate these difficult times.

*When talking about the stages of spiritual development we call these times “Hitting a wall.” They often help us grow from one spiritual stage into the next. I write about that in my book, Tumbled People: Deconstructing and Reconstructing Your Faith. If you’re in the middle of a tumble, this book might be the encouragement you need.

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