Reason

Christ endured such evil not because He could not stop it, but because He wanted to show me (and show you too) that we too could endure any evil in our lives…

Christ Suffering (Romany Fawzy)

I have been thinking about terrible things that happen.  It is true that often when something very bad happens, people say that all things happen for a reason.  But I find that terribly frustrating and not terribly accurate.  I tend to think that when terrible things happen, it is because they are truly terrible and unfair and extraordinarily bad.

I mean, recently someone who was very close to me and to people who I love, died at a very young age of cancer.  He did not die easily.  He died slowly over a period of years, without hope, but fighting with all his strength to hold onto his life.  And as he died – slowly and painfully – his very young family watched – powerless to do very much to ease his suffering or really do anything at all…

And then, when he finally died – having suffered so horribly in his final years, and having left behind all the people who loved him – it was so final.  There was no way to sooth it or make it better.  There was no way to comfort those left behind.  And the grief was a terrible experience that came in waves and poured out from children and adults alike…

And I have been thinking about that today.  You see, I have been considering the reason why Christ was crucified…  He was a perfect Man who did great good during His lifetime.  He was without sin and without weakness.  He was disciplined and holy and performed many miracles that helped many people.  And yet – even so – He was killed.  He was killed unjustly and unfairly.  He was killed in front of His own Mother, naked and alone.  There was no reason for His suffering.  Evil happened to Him.  Evil happened and nothing stopped it.  Evil happened and it was bad and terrible and there was no solution for it.  He did not escape that evil – even though as God He had plenty of Power and opportunity to do so, still He allowed Himself to be subjected to that Evil and He endured it, uncomplainingly…

And He endured such evil not because He could not stop it, but because He wanted to show me (and show you too) that we too could endure any evil in our lives…

And after He bled and suffered and died – and endured that evil – that was not the end of Christ’s story…  In the end, He rose from the dead…  And in the end – through the Grace of God – I will too (and so will you).

And I have been thinking about that today as I have been thinking about terrible things that happen.  And it occurs to me that God is infinitely kind to me, to give me hope through the terrible sufferings of His own Perfect Flesh – just so that I would be hopeful in the face of any evil…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.