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January 5

The Struggle of Faith

To know God is to know him as the God of love who enters suffering in order to redeem it. When we enter into the love of God we also enter into God’s suffering for our world.

It is simply not true that because God in Christ has suffered to redeem us, therefore, we will never need to suffer. In Christ, the Christian has become identified with the suffering God who continues in his love for the world to suffer its alienation and waywardness.

In various ways the Christian is called to suffering, particularly in suffering what God suffers.

Thomas à Kempis speaks of a suffering that leads to growth and

maturity: “You cannot win your crown of patience without some struggle. If you refuse suffering, you also refuse the crown.”5

There are also other forms of suffering. Christians suffer the indifference of others. Christians suffer in their witness and service. But Christians most profoundly suffer the pain in the heart of God that has to do with the world’s lack of shalom and wholeness.

As parents suffer the pain of wayward children, God suffers a wayward humanity despite the offer of Christ as the way, the truth, the life. In prayer we are called to be with God in this suffering as we associate with our family, friends, and neighbors who are still far away from the ever open welcome of God.

Thought

Identification with God involves identification with God’s pain for our world.