Job’s Dilemma
Several years ago, when I was a student at Newman Theological College in Edmonton we studied the Book of Job in one of my classes. Perhaps it could be said that the Book of Job is one of the ‘classics’ when it comes to the mystery of human suffering. Job seemingly did nothing to bring on the massive amount of suffering and loss he experienced in pretty much every aspect of his life. His friends thought he must have brought all this calamity on himself through his own sinfulness and they chided him. Job’s insistence that this was not the case did bring him to cry out to God. In response God basically reminded Job about his place in the universe. God is mystery and in many ways so is human suffering. And yet sometimes it is very hard to make sense of it, even though we know that God is with us.
We all face in suffering in our lives. No one can escape this fact. As human beings we get sick, experience of myriad of losses, struggle with addictions, become estranged or disconnected from those we love, get old, and much more. And the bottom-line is that as Christians we are called to do what we can to alleviate suffering. And yet at times it’s hard to know just what to do except to pray and support each other in whatever way we can, and maybe, at times, that’s enough!
As I write this blog, I can’t ignore the reality of what is happening in the world at the present time with the Covid-19 virus. It has put the sense of suffering on a world-wide perspective. This is affecting us all. It has been declared a pandemic. In Canada we are just at the beginning of the spread of this contagious virus. Its impact is more than physical, more than the fact that it will make many of us ill. The effect of the virus is also economic. It is causing the shut-down of schools, events, trips, and large gatherings, the stock market continues to plunge and governments struggle to find ways to help us deal with this uninvited yet very real situation. It is also social as we are asked to self-isolate, disconnecting us from others while we wait . . . for symptoms to pass, for tests to be confirmed, for love ones to recover. We could be forgiven perhaps if we too cried out to God – ‘what did we do to deserve this?’
How do we keep things in perspective? How do we respond to this kind of suffering? We are now very aware that we should do everything possible to avoid the spread of this virus: wash our hands regularly, stay home when we are ill, avoid travelling outside our country and stay away from large crowds. While this is sound and even wise advice, what about our need for connection and human interaction? How do we reach out in love and compassion to one another at a time like this? How do we help one another live Jesus words ‘Do not be afraid, I am with you’ in concrete ways? Perhaps we simply continue to pray and to trust. Last week, we were sent a lovely prayer from Fr. Ken Thorson called “United in Prayer # COVID-19”. It is one that I will keep near me to pray daily. Pray, trust, do not be afraid. This too shall pass.
This is not at all what I started writing about earlier in the week. While I did want to write about suffering I was thinking more about spiritual suffering that affects us on a deep inner level – when our suffering makes us question the meaning of what is happening in our lives, when we feel disconnected from others or are having trouble forgiving ourselves or others or when we begin to give up or to lose hope. I wanted to talk about how our culture may not distinguish well between physical pain and spiritual pain or see spiritual pain as a form of suffering and how this lack of distinction may be leading to a greater desire for euthanasia, or medical assistance in dying (MAID), a term I find very misleading. I wanted to discuss my perception that we need more training in this area, more palliative care and hospice in our country to help people face the challenges that ‘pop’ up
at difficult times in our lives and most especially at the end of life. Yet, as I write this and reflect on the current situation, perhaps it ties in. This pandemic is and will continue to cause untold suffering of a physical nature. It will also cause untold spiritual suffering. We will most likely try to find some meaning in what we are experiencing and wonder how things will unfold. Much will still remain a mystery to us. All we can do now is take precautions and take life one moment at a time and be grateful – grateful to live in a country that offers access to healthcare to everyone – grateful when politicians strive to have the best interests of their citizens at heart – grateful for loving and supportive family, friends and community – grateful for our Oblate community where we are indeed united in prayer. Together we will hold each other in love and compassion helping us face whatever comes our way. In God we trust even when, like Job, we can’t really completely understand the ‘why’ of human suffering!
By Debbie Doornbos
