Problems of suffering 1: Damaged and ended relationships

One of my first desktop photos from my old UMAX. (Apple)

Problems of suffering 1: Damaged and ended relationships

Years ago, a good friend suggested a part-time, ministry venture for me to complement my main employment.

The idea was for me to work on presenting a more relatable and less academic version of my British research theses work, publicly.

I had considered my own parachurch ministry as a possibility from before I began formal education.

Recently, two other people in Christian leadership have made similar suggestions.

This work would perhaps lead to a booklet and lecture series. My own reasoning is that problems of suffering would be more effectively practical than would problems of evil.

It has also been suggested to me to that I present my personal struggles with problems of suffering. This is not an outlandish suggestion, even academically, I remember distinctly that John S. Feinberg shared aspects of personal problems of suffering within his text the Many Faces of Evil, which was my key and main PhD text.

This will be a series. Not all my posts on this website will take this approach.

Based on Eric Vossen’s work, pages 21-28:

He presented three coping strategies for problems of suffering, which I will paraphrase for this article:

These strategies parallel his three coping models.

Retaliation 

1. The removal of suffering over time. Within a Christian, biblical tradition, God should be trusted as sovereign and considered able to intervene in problems of suffering either naturally or supernaturally. God is the supreme judge of sin. Even though persons are sinful and judged by God as sinners, God also provides salvation for believers.

I will add that this is Scripture based in religious history.

Plan 

2. God has both a temporal and everlasting plan for those within the Christian Church. In Jesus Christ, suffering leads to our eventual salvation.

Compassion

3. The love and support of friends and family. This represents to Vossen, the love and compassion of the immanent God (God is near, present and works in his creation) through his followers.

Personally

My Mother (The Boss) now lives down the road at a residence for the elderly and those with like physical conditions. She was born disabled and now has significant dementia.We can no longer have a reasonable, intellectual discussion of any kind. We can no longer have a reasonable discussion of any kind. It is as if she is largely already mentally deceased.

The Boss being from the traditional generation and culturally very conservative, and me being from the generation x and a moderate conservative; in my opinion, led to arguments over the years. We basically agreed politically and religiously, but argued as I would consider myself a much more out of the box thinker than was the Boss, that was kind of set in her ways.

But, the Boss was someone I could tell my life story too, and she listened with interest and was a fantastic help. Now that is gone, forever in this realm.

But what about Vossen’s model?

Retaliation?

The Boss  and I are both believers in the Gospel and are therefore covered by the applied atoning and resurrection work of Jesus Christ. Therefore, I should see the Boss again, post-mortem, as spirit, in Paradise (Luke 23, 2 Corinthians 12, Philippians 1). With the entire Church, New Testament promises shall lead to resurrection (1 Corinthians 15) and the eventual restored physical realm and culminated Kingdom of God (Revelation 21-22).

Plan

The above indicates, biblically, within historical Scripture, a plan for those within the Christian Church to eventually be completed. Those truly in the Christian Church, saved from sin and death and having everlasting life.

Compassion

In the Church, at least, the situation of the Boss allows my church, my friends, family and strangers alike, to show compassion that has promise. This opposed to sentimental theology (please see archives).

FEINBERG, JOHN S. (1994) The Many Faces of Evil, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House.

VOSSEN, H.J.M. ERIC (1993) ‘Images of God and Coping with Suffering’, Translated by S. Ralston, in Journal of Empirical Theology, Volume 6, pp. 19-38. Kampen, The Netherlands, Journal of Empirical Theology.