Perspectives on Suffering and Pastoral Care

　　In the past year, Christians in Hong Kong, along with the rest of the society, have had to endure many hardships and disruptions to daily life as a result of the social unrest caused by political differences of opinion. The current novel coronavirus outbreak threatens to further prolong this troubling season of uncertainty and fear. Perhaps it is also a good time to think about what the Bible says about suffering so that when we do minister to those who are suffering, our words will not merely be encouraging but also contain theological substance—so that those we minister to will not only be comforted but come to a better understanding of who God is, what He is like and that they can trust in Him.

　　It is sometimes surprising to me that the Church seems so ill-equipped to deal with suffering, when the Bible was mostly written by people who were writing from a place of weakness and helplessness and longed for deliverance. Suffering was often a result of their identity as God’s people and their commitment to faithfully living out that identity (Jn 16:33; 1 Pt 4:12; Phil 1:29; Cf. Mark 10:28-31). It is important to remember that for Christians, there is always a spiritual dimension to what is going on, there is more than meets the eye. Jesus is able to say to the “poor in Spirit” and the “meek” and the “mourning,” “Blessed are you!” because there is more to reality than what we can see with our limited vision.

Be Mindful of Our Words

　　However, attempts to theologize or explain away a person’s suffering in a general way can sometimes cause more harm than good. When Job’s three friends visit him after his tragedy, they did well by mourning with him and remaining silent for seven days and seven nights. (Jb 2:11-13) The problem was when they opened their mouths and tried to theologize Job’s tragedy: “Job, this was your fault.” “Job, you must have sinned.” “God is punishing you.” As it turns out, only God is wise and only God knows the reason behind human suffering. At the end of the story, God rebukes Job’s friends for speaking foolishly and without knowledge. (Jb 42:7) Just because two things can be correlated does not mean that one thing causes the other. Consider the following statement: “100% of people who breathe die.” While it is true that everyone who dies breathed at one time, this does not mean that it is the act of breathing that causes death. In Luke 13:1-5, Jesus similarly warns against assigning blame and guilt to victims of calamities and accidents beyond their control. Jesus tells us it is unwise to speak for God in the midst of a tragedy; we should not make spiritual guesses about why bad things happen; instead, Jesus advises us to examine ourselves and to allow such tragedies to lead us to repentance. In the moment of their suffering, people do not need a theologian’s explanation but rather a pastor’s care.

Biblical Perspectives on Suffering

　　Be that as it may, although we are unable to explain why terrible things happen, Scripture does affirm that God is somehow able to cause something good to emerge from our difficult experiences, regardless of the cause. As Christians we are committed to this belief—after all, God allowed Jesus’ death on a cross to become an atonement for our sins, securing our salvation (Rom 5:10). According to the Apostle Paul, the Jewish people’s initial rejection of the gospel, tragic as it may be, will lead to the Gentiles coming to faith. (Rom 11:11-12) Joseph’s betrayal by his brothers was an unspeakable evil, but he was able to accept that God is able to use his brothers’ actions, which they intended to harm him, to accomplish God’s own divine purposes (Gn 45:4-15).

　　The New Testament is full of examples of godly results (not causes!) of faithful endurance in the midst of suffering. In the Book of James, suffering can cultivate endurance, which can make us mature and complete people so that we will receive the crown of life (Jas 1:2-4, 12). In Hebrews, suffering may be something that God allows in order to discipline those He loves, in order to produce fruits of righteousness and peace (Heb 12:1-11). In 1 Peter, the author suggests that suffering can have a redemptive purpose for the sake of others. Just us we have received healing and salvation because of Jesus’ suffering on behalf of us, God may also use our suffering to bring redemption and wholeness to others in a way we do not expect (1 Pt 3:17-19; 2:22-24; 4:12-19) . In Revelation, the Lamb’s sufferings are not a sign of His defeat; neither are they forgotten and ignored. Rather, the Lamb’s wounds are a crucial part of the story of God’s final victory over evil (Rv 5:9). In the same way, the suffering of the saints will not be forgotten (Rv 6:10; 7:14). At the appointed time, God will make all things new and put an end to evil, suffering, and even death (Rv 20:7-21:8).

Walking with Those Who Are Suffering

　　While we should never callously “explain away” the suffering of others, we can walk alongside our hurting brothers and sisters and, if and when the time is right, affirm what God is doing in their lives as a result of what has happened. As Job discovers, the reasons why calamity befalls us may be ultimately too mysterious, too difficult for us to comprehend. What people who are suffering need most is not an answer to why something happened but, how they are going to get through the tragedy. And I firmly believe that it is within the area of pastoral care and compassion that theologians, pastors and theological students have the most to offer to those who are suffering in the Church and in society.