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March 14, 2007The burning bush of our shared humanitySiggy brings us today’s Lenten morsel, but it’s more like a feast - a wonderful essay on human suffering, the nearness of God, and the Pauline paradox of “when I am weak, then I am strong.” Everyone gets the hard stuff to deal with, sooner or later, and we’re always quick to pray “Lord, let this cup pass me by.” But when it lands before us - and it will, even if it hasn’t landed before you yet, it will - if we’re paying attention, we discover that the heavy cup comes with a chaser all its own, and in the chaser is the gift. God’s exchange with Moses takes place in a burning thorn-bush because God heard and knew the suffering of His people. God did not appear to Moses in a lush forest or other place of natural beauty, because God wanted Moses to understand that He not only knew the suffering, but heard, felt and shared that suffering as well. It is easy to see the beauty of our spouses, children and loved ones when they are healthy, charming and well dressed. It is not always so easy to see their beauty and uniqueness when that is not the case. It is also true that sometimes, a person’s real inner beauty and strength are revealed when they face adversity. There are mothers and fathers that marvel at a child’s strength through a debilitating illness. What parent has not secretly proposed to God that they, and not their child, be stricken or afflicted? What parent has not agonized over the trials and tribulations that each child must endure at each and every stage of their lives? [...] It is at those times we see the real beauty of those who we love and those who love us. It is at those times that we come to understand the kind of love that is real commitment and loyalty. God no more abandons us in our pain anymore than we abandon our loved ones in their pain and suffering. Read the whole thing. And thanks, Siggy, for a wonderful gift. http://theanchoressonline.com/2007/03/14/the-burning-bush-of-our-shared-humanity/trackback/ 2 Responses to “The burning bush of our shared humanity” |
March 14th, 2007 at 10:25 am
Dear Anchoress, thanks for posting this today! It is truly a topic near and dear to my heart. I’ll go over and read the rest.
March 14th, 2007 at 11:13 am
Oh Yummy! I love Lenten morsels, but I think I’ll head over to Siggy’s for the full blue plate special.