Ah, yes. Spending time in the valley so you will
appreciate the peak.
Gigi, from the comments to the "Quote of the day" from October 7.
I've been contemplating adding some "meat" to this blog, by way of offering reflections on two themes that mean quite a bit to me these days: the virtuous life, and the nature of suffering. I thought I'd take Gigi's comment to get the ball rolling on both of these ideas.
The question is, "is that it?" I mean, is the point of suffering simply to learn to appreciate the good times? Whether in this life, or in heaven? I may have suggested as much, but I really can't believe that's all there is to it. I remember a homily from shortly after my diagnosis. In it, the priest noted that there are two directions we can go...two choices we can make...in the face of great trial. The first is to let our suffering defeat us, making us bitter and angry, hopeless. Or we can choose to become good through suffering -- to become virtuous, facing it with courage, growing in widsom and our conception of justice, through which we become the better equipped to handle the difficulties of this life (which do not stop with, and are not limited by, cancer -- I have only to watch my friends struggling mightily to raise children to understand this).
And what of heaven? I mean, how many of the virtues remain with us in heaven? Is there still the need for temperance or fortitude? I don't no...but I don't think so. Justice? I think that's taken care of, too. Wisdom? Ahhh...there it is. I think we find a nugget of the wisdom of heaven in being able to appreciate its goodness after the struggles of earth. But I also expect there is more here, too. Just what it is, I'll have to think about some more...
4 comments:
Hmmm...suffering is very tough to swallow, even if it does 'build character'. I think that's why books like Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People thrive--people need logic to blithely continue with life. And we do--life is taken for granted far too often. I'm guilty of it as well.
God makes us go through things for a reason. Perhaps it's for our crowns in heaven. We can't always know what it is, though, and that's tough. I just have to remember to trust Him and continue to hope He returns soon!
I'm the Quote of the Day--woo hoo!
I agree that there must be more than the obvious 'peaks and valleys' reference I made in regard to suffering. To maintain faith that this will be revealed, despite and--mostly--in the midst of suffering has got to be one of the most difficult tasks we have. I believe each of us does what we need to, to understand the 'whys' as best we can. I love your focus on the virtuous life. The links you provide to the virtues (pursued by Rodent Passion) are equally dizzying and fascinating. I'm looking forward to more "meat." :)
Luv,
Gigi
The second reading on Sunday had Paul talking about his own (physical) suffering and how he bore it for the salvation of souls. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this.
Accepting it is the easy part, I think - Christ suffered bodily for others, we are are given the gift of sharing in that suffering for the same reason.
The hard part is tactical acceptance - what does it mean to "offer up your suffering for others", and more importantly how is that accomplished?
Maybe diving into the activation of grace through physical suffering can help us understand how to go about that.
My first thought when I read your blog entry was about football, believe it or not (and not just because Popeye's Nephews laid the smackdown on Rodent Passion this weekend, showing up with a defense that resulted in the lowest single game score IN THE HISTORY OF THE LEAGUE...but I digress). What I was thinking was that in football, like in most sports, clearly the physical component is a fundamental one. If the athlete (or team of athletes, in the Bears case) is not inshape, the athlete will not be competitive. Beyond the physical, though, there are definitely other components that we call "intangibles" that serve to differentiate the capable athlete from the dominant one. For example, there is a mental component (focus); there is an emotional component (passion), and I don't think anyone could argue against "momentum" as a central motive force for victory (no pun intended). It seems to me that each of these intangibles somehow acts on the athlete's ability to exercise his will to win.
The tough question is: how do any of these characteristics of a winning team or athlete transfer from the non-physical to the physical? And if we can put some framework around this transition, would that help us understand the transition from physical suffering into a non-physical force (e.g., saving grace)?
Have you ever run across a treatment of this topic in philosophical or theological writings?
Yo Esteban...
...been considering your comment, and I'm still doing so. It may take a bit before I respond. If I come up with anything good, I'll make it a full-on post.
One thing, though: I daily grapple with what it means to "unite" my struggles to those of Christ, and of how to do this for the good of others. I believe people who tell me that they are encouraged by what strength and courage they see in me. I also believe that, somehow, in some mysterious, metaphysical way beyond my ken, there's something more to be shared. A deeper connection that goes with our being "one body" rather than being mere observers of and empathizers with each other's suffering.
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