Suffering

Praise our God, O peoples,
Let the sound of his praise be heard;
He has preserved our lives
And kept our feet from slipping.
For you, O God, tested us;
You refined us like silver.
You brought us into prison
And laid burdens on our backs.
You let men ride over our heads;
We went through fire and water,
But you brought us to a place of abundance.
-Psalm 66:8-12

My life has been blessed by a remarkable lack of physical suffering. I've had stitches once, broken a bone once, never been hungry except by choice, and only been cold or exposed to harsh elements temporarily. Mental, emotional and spiritual suffering are another story, but even so, as a wise man once said to me, "things could be better, but they could be a whole lot worse, too."

The limited suffering I have experienced, (and this may sound odd, but) I actually kind of liked. No, I'm not a masochist. Yet, just as suggested in the Psalm above, the refining effect of suffering makes the experience worthwhile - especially once the suffering is over! It makes us more sympathetic and understanding of others' struggles, and accordingly less judgmental. It also hones our priorities, urging us to discard those things that really don't matter and cling more strongly to the things that really do. Intense suffering also helps me to accept that my time on earth will indeed come to an end, and makes me yearn all the more for eternal life in heaven.

But that is when it's me. As for seeing my loved ones suffer...no, that I don't like at all. I can't think of anything worse. In over ten years of marriage and almost ten years of fatherhood, I have seen my wife and daughters suffer many times. The experience is agony. The feeling of helplessness burns like fire, since many times there has been little I could do.

These are the times when, for me, questions arise like, "Where is God?", and "How could a loving God allow this?"

I know the stock Christian answers like, "It's because of our own sin that this suffering has come upon us," or "Well, it's actually the devil causing the problems, and God is just allowing it to prove a point, as in the story of Job."

These points have validity, I suppose.

I heard a recently deceased radio preacher put it this way (when he was still alive): "Is there suffering in your life? Is there heartache? Is there sorrow? Is there pain? There is? Good. Because that's the silken thread that God will use to draw you closer to Him."

He's right. When everything is coming up roses, we might not think about God as much as we should. But this I know for certain; when my wife found that lump in her breast, or my little girl ate the wrong kind of nut and her airway closed up, I thought about God real quick.

I don't know... I don't really have any answers...

One more thing though...even if you are not a Christian, consider this idea. What would it feel like to be an all-powerful being, with infinite love, and to see your child suffer... not just suffer, but be brutally beaten, humiliated and systematically tortured until he died. And with all the power and strength and might in the universe at your fingertips, to still voluntarily stand back and watch it happen...to let it happen...so that the child's suffering and death could substitute for the judgment you wanted to bring down on the rest of us for brazenly flouting your laws?

What would that feel like? Was there a split second when God might have hesitated and considered calling the whole thing off?

Does He really love us that much?

The Four Systems of Earthly Power

Let me begin with a comment on the subheading of this blog. The Silver Sentinel does not oppose those in authority - far from it! - for all authority is established by the hand of God. The subheading actually has a double meaning. On one hand, those in power should be monitored closely because of the natural human tendency to let power go to one's head, which can lead to abuses. On the other hand, they also should be watched because by watching them we can learn a lot that may be beneficial. Still, the caveat to beware applies. Whether wielded wisely or poorly, power is a grave responsibility.

Onto the matter at hand...

I propose that all exertions of earthly power ultimately fall into one of four categories. (I say earthly because the power of heaven, that is of God, is in a category unto itself, or more accurately perhaps, beyond categorization.)

The four categories are force, logic, sex and money. Naturally, these can overlap and intertwine.

Let's start with money. Like it or not, we live in a world of things. Some things we absolutely need like food, shelter and clothing. We also tend to desire things that are not necessary, but which do serve to entertain, comfort or stimulate us. Money is simply the standardized commodity by which the things we need or want are exchanged. That's not a bad thing, but it is a form of power, and therefore has the potential to do either great harm or great good.

Even more than we desire or need things, we desire and need each other. The relationships between friends, relatives, professional colleagues and neighbors are important and influential. No form of human relationship, however, is comparable in intensity to those based in sexual attraction and desire. Let's be honest. It can completely bend the mind! From the Trojan War to the Oval Office, people have done all kinds of wacky things when overcome by the fever of lust or romance. As with the money-power, the potential for both good and evil is bound up in sexuality.

Logic...words, ah, where the Silver Sentinel is most at home! The power of words is indeed a wondrous part of the human experience. Think about it! A few kind words can send your spirit soaring toward heaven. Likewise, an off-hand insult or mocking jibe can crush your heart.

At last we come to force. In days of old, the sword stood as the ultimate symbol of this form of power. Over the years, the functional supremacy of the sword has been replaced by the gun and more recently, by the nuclear warhead. Still the symbolism remains, and it is understandable that the sword (or spade in modern playing cards) is the trump. All the shiny money, burning seductiveness and brilliant argumentation in the world will avail nothing against the onslaught of raw force.

While money, sex and logic clearly can be applied in both good and bad ways, force is different. The only 'good' application of force, in this humble Sentinel's opinion, is defensive - that is to oppose another force that has been asserted almost certainly due to an inability or unwillingness on the part of the aggressor to meet its needs or desires through negotiation (money), seduction (sex) or persuasion (logic).