THE MYSTERY OF SUFFERING:
A REFLECTION IN THE LIGHT OF THE BOOK OF JOB
The book of Job affirms that suffering is universal from the experience of the protagonist. Suffering is also a constitutive element of every living being. That’s why along with Job, his possession too suffer, in some way (cf. 1:14-19).[1] This phenomenon does not spare anyone (cf. 1:6-12) either, or consider space and time (cf. 1:13-19). Consequently, it also has social dimension, that positively it brings people together (cf. 2:11-13) and strengthens (cf. 1:20-21); and negatively, it can also bring curse, misunderstandings, and desertion (cf. 2:9; 4:7-9; 11:4-6; 22:4-5). Finally, it is never everlasting. That’s why Job, after sometime gets back all the fortunes, even a two-fold (cf. 42:10-17).
Agreeing upon the above-mentioned aspects of suffering, I would like to explicate a few of my experiences of suffering in the light of the book of Job. My father was working in the carpentry department of the Government’s Boat-Building Yard, Chennai. He lost the job along with several thousand workers, when the company was closed down in 1983. As a consequence, my parents could not afford me English medium education with high fees. So I was admitted in a Tamil medium school and put in a hostel, some 25 kilometers away from my home. Even though I suffered due to the abrupt shift of life, my fifth and sixth standard school life especially in the hostel was a real time of formation. I learned to relate with different type of students and to manage myself. For the first time, I wrote a post-card to my parents. I also became confident to travel in city buses to reach home during public and quarterly holidays. Hence, I considered all these fortunes a blessing in disguise. Later as I grew in faith, I began to recognize the hand of God in this event of my life.
Suffering also gives a chance to experience the intimacy of love. Once during my third standard, I suffered from stomachache at midnight. Since there were no automobiles, my father carried me to the hospital for about 2 kilometers. This experience is so deep in me that it enriches my life very often. Moreover, when Job suffered, his friends were drawn towards him. So also when ever, especially my grand mother gets illness, all the members are drawn naturally. As I have noticed, this would become a moment of experiencing love, care, and solidarity.
Therefore these reflections have helped me to assert that theologically suffering has a salvific value, which means in the moment of suffering, my faith gets strengthened and accordingly I am able to perceive the hand of God. In other words, my little sufferings have facilitated me to find meaning in my life.
G. Robert John Kennedy
31 August 2002
[1] Henceforth, all quotations are from THE HOLY BIBLE, The New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition for India, Bangalore: Theological Publications in India, 1999. They are immediately noted by permitted abbreviations for the particular book in the Bible.
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