I realize this is rather depressing, but I've been turning something over in my head and thought I'd put it on here. Tell me what you think:
You may remember that we watch birds in our windows rather frequently. Yesterday Lj was down for a nap and I saw what looked like a little little baby bird sitting on the window ledge. I got up to watch it and the longer I watched, the more disturbed I got.
The feathers looked strangely ragged and as I watched it move and scratch or pick at itself, I got more and more disturbed. This poor bird had pulled off every feather on its neck. When his head would pop up, all you'd see is the pink neck, he'd scratched so much at his head that the feathers were all raggedy. As I watched him, he started to get into a pattern that I can only describe as similar to a tic or OCD repetitive action thing. You could see him getting more and more "anxious" (how can a bird get THAT anxious?!) and repeat his scratching pattern faster and faster.
It was so disturbing that I tapped on the glass to get his attention and break his cycle. It just seemed SO sad to me that this little bird was obviously sick somehow. I was glad Lj wasn't awake to see it.
Anyway, I've just been thinking about this little experience and my thoughts are drifting towards suffering. What a topic. I think I've been made with some sort of Extra Sensory Ability to sense Suffering. I know there are others out there. It sucks - It's like I somehow find folks who are suffering or I hear things about situations and it starts to go around in the back of my head. Like that plane crash in Spain or other such disastors. A constant one for me is the child industries in Thailand - that is never that far from my mind.
Anyway - I heard someone say once that if we can't learn how to manage suffering and resolve it with our world belief, we'll eventually have some sort of crisis of faith.
Any thoughts?
2 comments:
I have the same problem...that's why I can't watch violent movies. Thankfully we know who is on the throne.
Thanx for posting your thoughts, Steph. Have you read C.S.Lewis' The Problem of Pain? I haven't,
but I think it really helped Brett put suffering in its place, within the context of his worldview. The following quote by John Piper, written after the tsunami a few years ago, presented me with an "ah-ha" moment that I will never forget, which is why I memorized the quote: "This then, is the point of all pain and pleasure. Pleasure says, 'God is like this, only better; do not make an idol of me: I simply point.' Pain says, 'This is what sin deserves, only worse; do not despise me; I am merely the messenger.'" BTW, can't wait to see you! :-) jeanne
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