A few
years ago, I was watching an interview between an anchorman and a priest on FOX
news, and the topic happened to be the late Pope, John Paul, who had only just
passed away.
The priest began to speak about the sufferings of the pope, how that after the assassination attempt he suffered pain the rest of his life, and as John Paul aged he developed Parkinson's Disease which proved to be extremely debilitating, as well. And yet for all his suffering, this priest continued to travel, and minister to his people.
Near the end of the interview the Catholic cleric quoted Colossians 1:24, "Filling up in my own body the unfinished sufferings of Christ."
And the newsman responded, "I don't understand. What is unfinished about Christ' sufferings?"
To which the kindly priest, with a sad twinkle in his eye, responded...
"…Our Participation.”
The priest began to speak about the sufferings of the pope, how that after the assassination attempt he suffered pain the rest of his life, and as John Paul aged he developed Parkinson's Disease which proved to be extremely debilitating, as well. And yet for all his suffering, this priest continued to travel, and minister to his people.
Near the end of the interview the Catholic cleric quoted Colossians 1:24, "Filling up in my own body the unfinished sufferings of Christ."
And the newsman responded, "I don't understand. What is unfinished about Christ' sufferings?"
To which the kindly priest, with a sad twinkle in his eye, responded...
"…Our Participation.”
None of
us are immune to suffering. As the title of the song goes, “No, not one. No,
not one.”
As I sat
in church today the pastor used a particularly poignant phrase.
“We win, but we win at a terrible cost.”
It occurs
to me that the foregoing phrase implies a scene not unlike the aftermath of a
fight between two fine, and well-paired boxers. One must surely win, but having
gone 15 rounds, the winner, like the loser, comes away bruised and battered.
Suffering
is neither pleasant, nor convenient, but the Apostle Peter admonished us that
we shouldn’t be surprised at the fiery trials with which we contend. They will
come, they will go, and they will come again.
Yes, we
win, but winning comes at a terrible price.
That
which we can touch, which we see with our eyes, which we refer to as “real,”
will pass away like a fog in the morning, and that which is for now
untouchable, unknowable, and invisible, will become tangible, and touchable,
and ever so knowable, and will take on a permanence that is beyond our frail
comprehension.
Thankfully
this isn’t all there is, and the end of our journey will find us in a place
where all tears have been wiped away, and we will bask in the perpetual smile
of Him Who loved us and laid down His life on our behalf.
“For I
reckon that the sufferings of this world are worthy to be compared to the glory
that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)
(By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "Concepts, Teachings, Practicalities & Stories")
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