…

Suffering.

Why does an all-loving God allow such protracted suffering that so many have to endure?

Does enduring the indignity of a wasting disease like ALS or pancreatic cancer teach those of us who must watch it something about compassion or patience or love?

Does it bring anyone closer to God, to an understanding and appreciation of the beauty that life can be in the absence of such suffering and pain.

Are we, born in this time, in this country, beneficiaries of a cosmic roll of the dice?

Should we feel lucky or grateful that we weren’t born in Sudan or Haiti or Afghanistan or Gaza or Ukraine, condemned at birth to famine, starvation and endless war and suffering?

Or is suffering the point of life?

Are we somehow lessened as humans because our lives are so easy by comparison with so many others?

Is our disconnection from the daily suffering of so many actually bad for us in terms or our personal humanity, of our sense of purpose and redemption?

The immense numbers of those suffering is overwhelming.

It may lead us to look away, avert our gaze, so we can escape responsibility since none of us can help everyone.

Perhaps we should focus on one person’s suffering and devote all of our attention and empathy there until – whether we call it mercy or neglect – that person’s life ends, and then move on to the next.

All I know is, for me, I feel I need to do more than I have been doing.

I need more compassion, more courage and much more patience to face what I’ve been trying to ignore most of my life.