Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Abigail Schogel
Theologies of Transformation
November 28, 2016
Schogel, 2
issue that many shy away from, as benefit of the privilege of lack of
experiencing suffering, while others are forced to face it due to the direct
that often leads to a lack of empathy for those who are suffering from those
who are not. When there is lack of empathy within a society or among a
group of people, apathy for how others see the world becomes prominent
and selfishness takes root. Christians, however, must reject the temptation
to not understand those with differing experiences with suffering. This can
only be achieved by understanding the role of suffering in Gods plan for the
some way. Though it may seem like something in our lives that has no
for believers to interpret their own suffering for the faith. The suffering of
Christ serves as the pattern for what believers should expect in the world.1
1 "Suffering." In The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Ethics. : Oxford University
Press, 2015.
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In each persons life, the Lord uses the good and the bad to further His will,
(John 11), and physical pain in his brutal death (John 19, Matthew 27).
derived from it. His temptation in the desert was endured to prove his role
as the Messiah, He allowed his friend to die and himself to feel that pain of
loss in order to emulate the power and glory of the Father, and to suffer
death on the cross for the sake of humankind. These few and simplified
hope for the outcome of good from personal suffering. The risk remains to
fixate too heavily on the hope or on the pain; Smith concludes, a focus
exclusively on pain and suffering risks becoming stoic and may reduce hope
superficially optimistic and may avoid the reality and meaning of the cross.
2
Paradoxically, we must look at pain and the hope equally in order to grasp
overwhelming and can skew our perception of the purpose of suffering and
2 Underwood, Ralph L. 2009. "Hope in the Face of Chronic Pain and Mortality." Pastoral
Psychology 58, no. 5/6: 655-665. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost(accessed
November 21, 2016).
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suffering can come at the hand of another, as the result of a broken world
(sickness, death, etc.) or in the form of a trial to be used by God to shape us,
having hope for what is to come from the suffering is essential in relation to
live must end. Paul is convinced that momentary light (weight) of our
(4:18). Suffering and death belong to this passing eon.3 Though we cannot
suffering and pain are not part of Gods original, perfect plan, but they are
the consequence of sin brought into the world by man. This world is
temporary and the sin and pain that exists in it will not continue on into
eternity for followers of Christ. Despite this, God uses the negative
permeates, and suffers with both human and cosmic being, action for
and violated persons, but also to the abused and violated cosmos itself.4
perspective that goes beyond our own personal experiences, and allows us
This recognition does not require one to have experienced drastic suffering
standpoint is how we see the world. The theory works under the assumption
the society is set up as a hierarchy; those at the top of this hierarchy have
the power to name society (its problems, systems, strengths, ect.) but those
at the bottom have the most accurate view of society. These perspectives
are in conflict because of strikingly different life experiences, but the voices
of the marginalized are not heard. Because those at the top have the power
to name society, what is named often becomes beneficial to those at the top
have a more accurate and clear picture of how society operates, their views
are generally suppressed. Because their voices have much less power than
those at the top, their standpoints are not heard; societal problems that
allow the rich to remain rich and keep the poor in poverty are not addressed
when we consider the societal suffering that was inflicted by those at the
top of the social hierarchy on those who were marginalized. Racial injustice
treat People of Color as second class citizens in the United States; our
healing of this broken society without the confrontation of the past, a reality
that many refuse to see with clarity. Schnabel explains that clarity is made
the lived experience of the marginalized6 and when those who experienced
the full weight of marginalization are given the platform to define what
occurred and how society interacts with the past today. History has proven
perspectives, because the society that was labeled by the powerful also
fold: for those who are benefitting from the system and are comfortable at
must be adopted in order to fully empathize with those who are suffering.
Secondly, those who are currently marginalized by society and have been
cast aside by those at the top must be willing to allow those with sincere
and sinful world and to follow Christs example, we must allow ourselves to
enter into the lives and perspectives of those who are hurting or different
and the process of dying have a way of compelling the sufferer to some kind
own suffering, but the suffering of our neighbor, allows us to have a deeper
As Christians, we are called to live as one body; accepting that each part
will have different strengths, will be used in different way, but ultimately
unified. When Paul writes about the church as a body, he says, If one
member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice
aware of the needs to those around us and as the church and the Body of
least one part of the body is suffering as other parts are being honored.
entered into the lives of the sick, sinners, and hated by the community and
eventually took on all of the suffering of the world in His death. Just as we
follow Christs example in order to live out what it means to be one body as
reveals the true religious meaning of the cross for American Christians
today. The cross needs the lynching tree to remind Americans of the reality
sentimental piety.8 For those at the top of society, a group easily recognized
vague idea of general sacrifice without really grasping what that sacrifice
communal suffering and not confronting this idea that we are called to
8 Cone, James H. Legacies of the Cross and the Lynching Tree. The Cross and the
Lynching Tree, 152-66 Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2011.
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recognize and feel the pain of our brothers and sisters. This choice adds to
the privilege of those at the top; those at the bottom have no choice but to
Being called to something greater than what society offers is a great hope
for both societal healing and for a more unified church in serving the Lord.
Unfortunately, history has proven that this is an idea that is easier said than
done and Hardings hesitations for suggesting an easy solution have been
of someone else would bring about healing, and even Cone confronts this
Though the pain of Jesus cross was real, there was also joy
and beauty in his cross. This is the great theological paradox
that makes the cross impossible to embrace unless on is
standing in solidarity with those who are powerless. Gods
loving solidarity can transform uglinesswhether Jesus on the
cross or a lynched black victiminto beauty, into Gods
liberating presence. Through the powerful imagination of
faith, we can discover the terrible beauty of the cross and
the tragic beauty of the lynching tree.9
argues that it is a necessary step in the faith in order to fully grasp the
crossas Smith explained, focusing only on the beauty of the cross would
do it an injustice and to only focus on the brutality of the cross would lead
ultimately points back to the cross. Without the cross, we are unable to
suffering. The only means of fully grasping the experiences of others pain,
particularly the suffering of those who are experiencing worse than what we
understanding in one aspect grows, the desire and ability to have further
Christ, we learn to love those He loves; Paul encourages the body to avoid
division through the same care and regard for others as one has for him or
empathize with those who we have yet to understand and can only be
to enter into the suffering of the world is explained in Hebrews 4:15: For
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weaknesses but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet
without sin. American society today points to the idea that the majority of
people, particularly those with power, have accepted the status quo and
we must reject this. In order to imitate Christ, to love others as the body of
Christ and to fully grasp the magnitude of the sacrifice on the cross, a
personal sacrifice and standpoint shift must take place. Confronting societal
giving voices to those who have not been heard is not an undemanding task,
but to accept the sacrifice and take part in the body of Christ, empathy for
Bibliography
Schogel, 13
Cone, James H. Legacies of the Cross and the Lynching Tree. The Cross
and the Lynching Tree, 152-66 Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2011.