Suffering leads to Hope

I love reading scripture. That may seem like a cliche coming from someone in my line of work, but it hasn't always been the case, so I feel I can say it now with some authenticity. I've experienced what it is like to not love scripture. I've been disillusioned, felt betrayed by it, and disdained scripture at times on my spiritual journey. Perhaps that honest and rocky path is what I needed to return to it with new eyes; like a lover's quarrel leading to greater appreciation of what could have been lost. 

Sometimes, though, I have to remind myself that I love scripture, particularly when it speaks a deep truth to me I am not ready to hear. Someone recently described our current state (living with the reality of COVID-19) as a, "slow grinding of the spirit." It is a painful thing to endure--there are a lot of unknowns which lead to anxiety. One of the readings for a recent Sunday was from Romans. In it, St. Paul writing to a church he has not met, but knows about. A church community he hopes to go to, but is separated from at the time of writing. It is a community at odds with the powers that be. To the small church in Rome, he writes at the beginning of chapter 5: "Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person-- though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us." (NRSV)

The message is profound and complex, yet straight forward: you are worth God's love. God's absolute love exemplifiedby Jesus giving his life for your sake. Because we, all of us, are deemed so worthy of God's love, we have been gifted the Holy Spirit. That Spirit will bring us the peace we need to endure...and here's where I get a little fidgety. We will suffer, and in that suffering we will build endurance, and character, etc. Ok, Paul. Haven't we learned this lesson enough? 

Then I remember that through the generations, Christians have looked to this letter to find courage to face whatever their challenges may be. The sufferings of individuals, and the collective sufferings of nations.  Global sufferings through wars, famine, pestilence, division, and on and on. Here we are with the reality of the suffering of life with ancient words to remind us that we have been here before, and we have been given a Spirit to rely on to guide us through. 

Not long after Hurricane Harvey, a dear friend who has been dealt her share of grief, came and spoke at our church. "This will be a gift." She said, obviously mustering her courage to say those intentional words to a recently traumatized congregation. She continued, "I didn't want to hear that when my priest told my high school self that after my dad's death. I know you don't want to hear not either, but it is true, and someday you will be able to see the gift." 

God loves you so much. In spite of anything any of us have done, or anything we perceive our selves to be, God loves each and every one of us enough to die for us. God has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us through every suffering (which eventually leads to hope.) Take courage. Just enough for today, for tomorrow we can deal with tomorrow. Take courage, and remember you have Holy Spirit with you in your suffering. You may feel weak, but God is your strength.