Vol IV: #51 Kids With Cancer
On the topic of suffering, I think I’ve lived my entire life thinking I could avoid it. And I tried to, yep. I did. At first, I through myself into pleasurable pursuits. Who doesn’t love a good numbing out? Then I thought other people had the answers. And most recently, I thought I could hack life in such away to avoid suffering and grief. But, and write this will all mirth and and seriousness, that’s bullshit too. Not even God keeps us from suffering and He never promises too. Matter fact, our Lord and savior gives us instruction on how to handle pain and persecution when it comes. And, I believe the early church embraced it.
Yet, somewhere between then and now, we started to believe we could avoid the worst of the worst. Perhaps it’s living in the West, owning cars and video phones and being able to press a small screen to find the right fix for any of our endless needs. And aren’t we entitled? Don’t we deserve better than slow internet and idiots on the road? I mean come on. How dare my dad get cancer or my best friend’s brother die young? What kind of a world is this? Eh? Don’t ruin my of utopia with your reality.
It’s so bad that people stop believing in God when they encounter real adversity. As CS Lewis put it, their “faith [is] revealed to be nothing more than a house of cards.” Of course, some people choose to become resentful of God as if he promised them nothing but sugar fairy farts and days of endless spring sun. How dare we suffer? I mean really. That whole book of Job, enslavement in Egypt, the Exodus, David’s time in the caves, the second enslavement in Babylon, the Cross, the stoning of Stephen, the death of the Apostles, the persecution the of the early church, all that crap, that’s not for me. Right? I’m better than all that.
And yet we know better. I know better. And it’s time I accept it. I’ve suffered in my life. Some of it because of me and some because of others. And the choice we all have to be a bitter, joyless coward- shivering the corner hoping not to been seen, or… we can shine. Through the mist and the darkness, in the face of whatever may come. Burn and shine and fight until the candle is melted and all over the floor. And then when it’s our time, I hope our smoke lingers longer than most.
Regardless, don’t ask me about kids with cancer. What can I say about it that will make it better? Answer: not a damn thing. It sucks. Shitty shit is real and the only legit question is how are we gonna respond?
