Suffering For Good

For Christian understanding of the variances in secular and spiritual interpretation of life course this is one of the primary passages in Scripture.  If I were to choose ten Scripture passages that are of greatest benefit to the Christian in life formation, this would be one of the ten.  It has been repeated in the introduction of these pages on several occasions.  For this Senior Page, I want to review my experience with the ideas of Viktor Frankl, whose writings I encountered decades ago to personal benefit.  I am surprised that they have not received more attention than writings of lesser value in the area of interest that have often been repeated and referred.  (I was alerted when I found the main article in The Week magazine (02/21/2013) a review of an article appearing in The Atlantic that summarized Frankl’s views of a theme of great interest to me.  I take both publications and find them dealing with substantive matters – for significant part, but not in all.)

I have followed the responses of individuals and masses of individuals to mistreatment, prejudice, rejection, misunderstanding, poverty, and denial.  Those who took on these negatives in peace, without rancor, and with repeated truth on affirmations about rights, justice, relationships, knowledge, and the general insights related to truth.  What is the human situation when gained in justice and equality?  Those who faced negative contexts in revenge, confrontational means using evil approaches (destruction, enemy orientations, rage, and the like) were delayed, sometimes denied the progress they were supporting.  In America the Irish, Polish, Italians gained acceptance, even respect, when the national confrontations were met with patience, with extra effort that demonstrated their acceptance to the society and its cultures so to peace and assimilation.  I followed the patient approach of Japanese Americans before, during and after World War II.  Even with the few laggards of prejudice the Japanese-Americans are accepted in truth of humanity, and their embrace for whatever it is that makes an American.  (I enjoy their respect for their origin in keeping their family names for address, and the adoption of American first names.  The point seemingly so small, is very large indeed.  The rights and acceptance deserving of every individual are best gained through truth and peace.  In my lifetime I have seen both victory when the patience of truth and peace has been adopted and loss when these virtues have been downgraded, misunderstood or misplaced.

Gandhi in India, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. in the United States, Christians in the first centuries of the era, took the abuse without rage and ill will.  Fifty years ago I asked Eddie why he functioned so well with white folks when his race was often given the left overs?  His answer has never left me.  He said: I truly feel sorry for those with prejudice.  I care for them anyway.  He felt he would work to accomplish what he wanted in life, and do what he could to reduce any ill will.  I believed him then, and I believe him now.  When I wanted to have hired a person to offer some greater racial variety to our staff, so to offer proof for students of our concern for their understanding of life equalities, I asked for Eddie to be hired.  He was.  As an officer of our college I went to the university to hire newly minted doctorates for our faculty, from a minority racial class, but gave up because we wanted affirmative persons going beyond the disorientations of prejudice.  On the two days I was there I couldn’t find them.  I am sure there were some, if I had had the time to find them.  Had the people of India followed Gandhi’s approach to peaceful solutions, the suffering and death of citizens of India and Pakistan would have been greatly alleviated.  Gandhi died for his belief in peace.  So did Martin Luther King, Jr.  Peace was one of the factors for which Christ died – for the benefit of all, not just those who exercise faith to the peace of God.  He would not call the legions of angels at the ready to fight for him.  Peter had to sheath his dagger, including for any demonstrations following.  Jesus forgave him.  Our approach ought to be that in our thoughts and in our actions we do what needs to be done in sharing in the sufferings of Christ for right.  That which was right then is right now; that which was wrong then is wrong now – as related to the same issues.