The grim reality of suffering is one that is inescapable for all people from all walks of life. It is the kind
of experience that touches everyone regardless of intellectual capacity, social & economic status,
health status and even spiritual stance. Because suffering is such a daunting issue, there has been a lot
to think, say, write, and sing about the topic both from the unbelievers and believers. Friedrich
Nietzsche, a late 19th Century German Philosopher once put it this way, “To live is to suffer, to survive
is to find some meaning in the suffering”. Fyodor Dostoyevsky, a Russian novelist, added by saying,
“Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart”.
As a Christian, one can barely imagine a clearer treatise on suffering than the writings of Sacred
Scripture. In the oldest book of the Bible, Eliphaz says, “For man is born for trouble, as the sparks fly
upward”. In between the walls of the Pentateuch lies a vivid display of how Israel, the chosen nation,
suffers both at the hands of pagan nations and at the hands of their creator as a consequence of their
rebellion. In a similar manner to the Psalms, or even Lamentations which, at least for many, is one of the least
taught books of the Old testament portrays a deep outcry of a suffering people seeking answers for a
seemingly endless predicament. The New Testament incessantly prepares the Christian to face the
reality of suffering. In one of the most notable sections of the apostle John’s account of the Gospel,
our Lord assures and encourages the disciples saying, “In the world you have tribulation, but take
courage; I have overcome the world”.

Courtesy photo.

By Solomon Kagimu.