Suffering

Alright, all you Bible thumpers, settle down!

You aren't going to like what I have to say today. Be that as it may, I press on (with only a small amount of irony). Cosmic eye roll.

I was sitting quietly opening to this full moon morning and, of a sudden, I knew I was going to talk about suffering. The first intent was to deliver a sweet little sermon on "Suffer the children to come unto me" which you would have dearly enjoyed, with no suffering on your part at all.

Then this nailed me right between the eyes and deep into my heart:

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.”- Isaiah 53:3-4

Uh oh. This doesn't sound too happy. Yet there is something really good buried in there. Perhaps not what you might think at first.

I don't want to get too theological on you here, but this passage from Isaiah, generally thought to have been written about 700 B.C., is considered to be a prophecy about Jesus. It certainly seems to fit.

There are two very different mindsets in that passage. One is of judgment and condemnation. The other is of compassion and lovingkindness. And you don't need me to preach a sermon on those differences. If you don't understand that by now, you need a brain surgeon. Or a heart transplant.

Now I'm not one to wallow around in the suffering of Jesus. Comprehend it as best you can, yes. Dwell in and on it, no.
You have your own suffering to attend to.

And finally I have arrived at my point.
Follow the example of Jesus.
Embody fully as a human with no evasion.

Take up your infirmities. Carry your sorrows. Notice that those are both positive actions, requiring you to stand on your feet and move.

Take up those places where you are not firm. Ask for a doggie bag, for a carry out. You may not get rid of them but they are not to stop you.

Carry your sorrows in your arms with great compassion.
And move on.

That reminds me, both Jesus and Buddha are associated with a tree and each dealt with suffering. But that's some gold ore for mining in the future.

It's such a beautiful day!
And Mrs. Stewart has invited us over to her house for lunch!
Please stand and let us sing a few verses of "Heavenly Sunshine."