Pain Incarnate

Lily Cathcart October 25, 2018 0 0

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Hebrews 5:7

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

The most terrifying thing about being human to me is other humans. The news is often full to bursting with the pain we can inflict on each other whether it’s through personal contact or through the global impact of years of misused resources.

A book that brings this home to me is The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. The protagonist, Offred, has been torn from her family and friends, from her very life and freewill by a Christian government out of control. The pain and subjugation she endures throughout the course of the book is hard for me to imagine although similar feelings of hopelessness and fear are felt around the world every day.

It seems overwhelming to think about but some comfort can be drawn from our other collection of books. The Bible talks about God choosing to become human, to suffer things that we suffer and to feel things that we feel. ‘In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death.’ For us and with us and because of love. It doesn’t make the suffering of humans now better, but it gives me hope that whatever we are going through Jesus can understand.

God of those in pain

Our heads are not big enough to understand the pain in the world.

Help us to see it in a way we can understand.

Remind us of your story of pain and humanity, of your tears.

Teach us to find a way we can truly help those who suffer at the hands of us all.

Amen.