On the Other Side of Suffering

Somehow it happens, when the dirge for loss has drawn to a silence, and the profoundness of pain has ebbed away—even as it occurs as a brief respite, but certainly as an ultimatum for life now coming—there is more than relief that remains.

This is surreal.

On the other side of suffering is a bright new world just waiting to be uncovered.

The idea is this: there is more serene feel and wonder felt on the other side of suffering. Life without suffering has a way of soothing the nuances of pain that may be felt, for in life there is always pain. But we are typically resistant to feeling subliminal pain, until pain rises sufficiently to slap us across the face, breaking through in the most calamitous of ways.

This is why the most passionate philanthropists have been touched uniquely in their own experience of pain. They have been rocked by pain so deep, so personal.

Pain has a way of piquing at our ideas for life, challenging what we previously accepted as truth. Pain upends our priorities. It re-sorts our values.

Pain prompts reflection in the midst of our beliefs—both of faith and experience.

As a result of the pain deforming us and our beliefs, we are re-formed by broader systems of belief that accommodate our experiences of suffering.

These new beliefs begin to coerce us out of our narcissistic zones and our awareness opens to the pain in others’ worlds—and the world, generally. It’s as if our eyes had been opened—the eyes of our hearts, and the ventricles of our spiritual senses. And never should they close again.

Accepting An Excruciating Paradox

Life is a paradoxical phenomenon in many ways; certainly by the fact that loss opens the way to victory for the soul.

It’s like God gives us ourselves only after we have entered in and fought for our true selves. Yes, we cannot enjoy the fullness of experience with ourselves if there is darkness within that is left unexposed.

Suffering has its way—if we’ll submit to its lessons—of showing us more of our true selves with our self-protective blinkers off.

It’s a great challenge to our pride to accept this, for God never forces us to face up to our burdensome truths—that we have damage to deal with—if we will enter in.

Acquiring A Licence To Feel

Of course, the pleasant (or not-so-pleasant) reality is, we’ve been put in touch with our pain and now we can know it is ever to be part of us. We’ve been given licence to feel, and, with that, is the courage to subsist in an existential truth none of us can do anything about, but endure.

It is good to feel, having the courage to feel.

And what is birthed within is the true sense for humility—we no longer must try to be humble—it’s now more part of whom we are and are becoming.

***

There is a prize beyond suffering. Especially as we learn, our worlds for sight are opened, as are our hearts. Our perspectives are broadened and we begin to appreciate reality. God has gotten through to us and continues to do so.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.