06/20/2023
I won’t lie—I like comfort way too much. I’ve been traveling a lot lately, and when I do, I miss the comfort of my own bed. I miss the comfort of air conditioning (which comes in short supply in Cambodia). I miss the comfort of the food I like. I miss the comfort of my daily routine. And I miss the comfort of being with my wife.
I don’t like pain, struggle, and discomfort. I want to avoid the path of difficulty and take the path of delight.
Maybe I’d make a good Buddhist. Buddhism is the leveling of all feelings so that suffering becomes only an illusion on the path to nirvana. But suffering isn’t an illusion, is it? Suffering is real and is oftentimes unavoidable. Buddhism’s goal is to be passion-less, a-pathetic—without pathos—passion. But if you drink from the cup that numbs your suffering, it also numbs your joy.
Rather than taking an apathy pill that denies suffering, the way of Jesus recognizes that suffering, discomfort, and pain are part of our reality in this fallen world. In fact, when we acknowledge our suffering and surrender it to Jesus, the Suffering Servant, our suffering takes on meaning and has direction.
By direction, I mean that suffering is not a dead end. It is not a brick wall. Suffering, discomfort, and pain are pathways to perseverance, which leads to character, and character produces hope (Romans 5:3-4).
The opposite of discomfort is comfort, and when comfort becomes our primary goal, we actually shrink in character and flounder in hope. When comfort becomes the end, our relationship with Jesus becomes merely a means. No wonder, then, that when we come into hard times, we question our relationship with Jesus, because Jesus isn’t holding up to what we perceive is His end of the bargain. “We follow Him, and He makes us comfortable; i.e., healthy, wealthy, and happy.” Or so we think.
Following Jesus, however, is quite often UNcomfortable. How comfortable is it to take up our cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23)? Seeking a comfortable life can lead to a complacent life which is the poison that pollutes passion.
I challenge you to join me in making this Franciscan benediction our prayer of commitment:
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and the exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, and starvation, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. In the name of the One who suffered for our sins, Jesus the Christ. Amen.
