Between Here and There
Which are we more likely to notice, happiness or suffering in the world?
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. - Romans 8:18
Paul, in his letter to the Romans, doesn't make an apology for suffering. To him, it is part of life, this life, and he longs for the day when this life ends and the next begins.
Is he suicidal?
One of the challenges we have with our faith in the Resurrection is how we look at the world we live in now. Is the suffering and pain in this world just something we have to live with, something we can do nothing about?
One could take a very cynical view of this life, offering little more than pity for those who are not as well off or who have a harder life. After all, they will enjoy the next life, so why bother doing anything to help them in this one?
In a way, those who see this life as all there is might be more likely to help others, believing this is the best it gets.
It is ironic, isn't it? Facing the futility of trying to help everyone when many are suffering, we could simply give up and leave it to God.
Perhaps that is why Jesus kept telling his disciples that there were things they couldn't understand.
Serving others is like knowing you are going to get the top score on a test whether you study or not and you choose to study hard anyway.
There is no need to do it to earn a reward, but you do it because you love learning.
That is the message from today's gospel as well.
"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." - Matthew 22:36-40
So, as Christians, we are tested in a way. We know we are living somewhere between here and there. We believe we will enjoy all the benefits of having led a pious and righteous life without having to do it. So, the question is this, why bother?
Because it is who we are.
More to come...
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