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“Suffering is the necessary feeling of evil.  If we don’t feel evil we stand antiseptically apart from it, numb.  We can’t understand evil by thinking about it.  The sin of much of our world is that we stand apart from pain; we buy our way out of the pain of being human.

Jesus did not numb himself or withhold from pain.  Suffering is the necessary pain so that we know evil so that we can name evil and confront it.  Otherwise we somehow dance through this world and never really feel what is happening.

Brothers and sisters, the irony is not that God should feel so fiercely; it’s that his creatures feel so feebly.  If there is nothing in your life to cry about, if there is nothing in your life to complain about, if there is nothing in your life to yell about, you must be out of touch.

We must all feel and know the pain of humanity.  The free space that God leads us into is to feel the full spectrum, from great exaltation and joy, to the pain of mourning and dying and suffering.  It’s called the Paschal Mystery.

The totally free person is one who can feel ALL of it and not be afraid of any of it.”

Richard Rohr from Days of Renewal

I’ve read this over and over again.  The truths of Rohr’s thoughts spin in my mind like a Rubiks Cube:  Pain is normal.  Suffering is real.  It is in the life package.  Pain is normal.  Touching any of it confirms life.  His mystery is in it.  Pain is normal.  Sober knows all of it.  Pain is normal.  Pain is normal.  Pain is normal.

Where did we get this cupcake gospel that we hear about on Sunday mornings, where everything works all the time and Jesus came to keep all the big bad wolves away from our front porch?  A quick peek through the windows of our most secure refuge confirms life is hard… and it’s probably supposed to be that way.

The totally free person is one who can feel ALL of it and not be afraid of any of it.

I think if you are even remotely tapped into social media, you’ll see that a lot of people are in pain, experience suffering and are mostly undone by anything that touches their family, health, possessions, or comfort.  Although it may not be the right place to vent such agony, we spill our stuff readily and loudly in the most awkward forums.  So much so it makes me wonder sometimes if we have any real friends or family that we can actually do the heart work with.

There is a “sacredness” in what breaks us.  Loss hammers a condensed confirmation of how much we loved what we had.  Loss allows us the right to keep moving, but why we move and how we move never takes us very far from what we lost.

Our empty hands and aching heart grope for reason and answers that never fit inside the blank spaces left behind.  When that really settles on us, we need the strength His body offers.

The things that make us more pliable, weepy, and more in touch with our feeble yet desperate need to be handled by our benevolent God, are all ultimately held by His light.  Nothing escapes His notice.  It is good to really know that very deeply.

None of us are excused from this table.  This table doesn’t move and some seasons demand that we sit and partake of what is being served on that table.  Therefore, a little tenderness and genuine concern for each others plight is an invitation for us to move off of the observation deck and become the mercy of God.

What are we doing for each other that does beyond words?  Can we not pretend we understand their pain (unless we really do) and just serve those who sit in overwhelming hurt?  A prayer, lots of prayer, a card, a coffee, a couple stiff drinks, chocolate, a cigar, mow their lawn, wash their clothes, clean her house, buy groceries, a really long hug, a movie, or simple time together can be the absolute refreshment of heaven.

Pain is normal.  Love is life.  Not being afraid sometimes requires a friend.  Are we free enough to be that for each other?

Thanks Richard!  Great word.

-MDP-

So here is the conclusion of this tale in THE GHOST CHRONICLES.  Thanks you so much for all your comments.  It was an honor to get to share it with you.  -MDP-

CLICK HERE TO READ:  Gold In Them There Hills – Part 3

The 2nd part of “Gold in Them There Hills” is now ready in THE GHOST CHRONICLES!

CLICK HERE TO READ:  Gold in Them There Hills – Part 2