No pain, no gain? Suffering leads to growth? Is it true? Or is that picture too narrow? What’s growth all about? The following is a text version of this posting. I was scrolling on Facebook the other day and saw that someone posted a quote that received lots of positive… Read More »The Secret about Suffering and Growth
The problems of the world can be overwhelming to us: the climate crisis, refugees and asylum seekers, and violence. How can we begin to grasp the enormity of the world’s problems from the perspective of the spiritual dimension of our lives? The following is a text version of this blog.… Read More »The Overwhelming Problems of the World
Some people think that growth is the result of suffering. No pain, no gain. Yes, people can experience growth after difficult experiences. But do we need to suffer to grow? In this video, I’m exploring the ways we grow as well as the fallacy of “no pain, no gain.” Join… Read More »The Secret About Suffering and Growth
It’s a ceremony that seemed very strange to me when I first learned about it. It was so different from anything with which I was familiar that it was difficult to understand. Several decades ago, I was told about a tradition among the Plains Indians called the Sun Dance. The… Read More »The God Who Suffers With Us
It’s a difficult topic. Most people prefer avoiding it entirely. But for those of us who are Christian, we’re at the time of year when it’s a topic that’s difficult to avoid. Suffering. During the traditional forty-day season of Lent, Christians are asked to reflect on the suffering of Jesus… Read More »Lent: Pain, Suffering, and the Cross
Over the last month, I’ve had video call conversations with over two dozen individuals I’ve never met in person. They are all graduate students enrolled in doctoral programs at the university where I teach. They live throughout North America and have been sheltering at home under various kinds of restrictions. … Read More »Suffering in Our Time
He was sweet and full of energy: a blond-haired, blue-eyed six-year-old boy. He had a smile and laugh that conveyed joy to others. His name was Chris. I met him when on the pediatric unit of the hospital I served as a chaplain in the early 1980s. Over the next… Read More »Faith in the Midst of Tragedy
It’s a stark image, one familiar to Christians who observe the time of Lent and Good Friday. Jesus hangs on a cross. On either side of him are two other criminals who also received a death sentence. As the gospel writer known as Luke conveys, one criminal who shares this… Read More »Pain and Paradise