Pain, Suffering, and Beauty

“Beauty is created in a profound way though adversity, pain and suffering.”

The Pilot

Robert Louis Stevenson once told a story about a storm tossed boat. It was night and the waves brought the boat dangerously close to a rocky shore. The wind threatened to drive the boat to destruction on to the rocks.

The passengers were confined below decks while the crew struggled to keep the boat afloat and away from danger. They were terrified, not knowing what was happening or if the next few moments would be their last.

Finally one passenger decided to defy the orders of the captain and see what was going on. He climbed up to the deck and made his way to the pilot house. The deck of the ship was slick and rolling. If he didn’t slip and crack his skull, then he was in danger of the wind blowing him overboard.

Slowly, grabbing onto whatever handholds he could find, he made it to the pilot house and looked in. He saw the steersman, holding onto the ship’s wheel unwaveringly. Inch by inch the steersman was turning the boat away from the rocks and out into the open sea. The pilot looked over to the storm drenched passenger and smiled.

The passenger made his way, inch by inch, back along the treacherous deck, swept by wind and waves. He climbed down the stairs to the room where the others were huddled together out of fear, and gave a note of good cheer.

“Fear not,” he said, “for I have seen the face of the pilot and he smiled. All is well.”

Peter’s Doubt

Matthew’s account of Jesus walking on the water tells a similar story about staying true to God while surrounded by a world that seems to give Him little thought. The apostles are caught in storm while crossing the sea. When they see Christ walking across the storm tossed waves they take him for a ghost and are filled with fear. But Jesus speaks to them and calms them. Peter asks to come to him and for a moment the water supports Peter. But the raging storm that surrounds him causes him to doubt and he begins to sink into the sea. Our Lord takes hold of him and brings him back safely to the boat, asking him “why did you doubt?”

The storm tossed boat is an image of life, the life of the Church on the storms of history and the life of every Christian as he struggles with hardship and doubt. The apostle’s fear of the unknown is something we encounter everyday. We do not always recognize or understand God’s mysterious actions in our lives. And that can cause us to fear.

We are often told, “do not be afraid, God is in charge.” Indeed this was something of a theme of pope St. John Paul II’s pontificate. I think people of faith have no problem believing that. We know that God has a plan for each and every one of us. We know that God loves each of us in a way we can only barely understand. We know that in the end, if we live according to His will, everything will work out and it will be what is best for us.

So why do we fear? I think that what we are afraid of most is the pain and suffering that may be involved in getting from where we are to where God wants us to be. How much will we be knocked about by the wind and the waves before the pilot sees us safely through or the Lord calms the seas? As a society we have become adverse to pain, suffering, and sacrifice. We have become so adept at it we have begun to expect that we can live out our lives free of these encounters.

But the reality is that pain and suffering are the lot of the Christian. How can we follow Christ and not expect to share in His pain?

Beauty and Suffering

One aspect of suffering that is frequently overlooked is how it contributes to Beauty in the world. Things are made more beautiful through pain and suffering.

The Monterey Cypress is a tree native to a very small area of the central California coast. It is an area bathed in fog and mist and subject to constant offshore winds. As the tree grows it is subject to the forces of wind and waves throughout its life. The result is a mature tree that has been sculpted by the elements. Trunks and branches are molded into intricate sweeping arcs and angles, creating a rough, savage beauty that attracts tourist from all over the world. Beauty is created in a profound way though adversity, pain and suffering.

Do we allow the wind and rain of this world to distract us from our faith? Do the waves of our pagan culture threaten to overwhelm us? God is greater than the storm that is the world today. If we keep our eyes on Him and hold fast to our faith then the wind and the sea of secular society cannot touch us. Jesus tells us if we had faith the size of a mustard seed we could move mountains. Imagine then, what we could do if we just had enough faith to keep our eyes fixed on Him.

God uses the world to announce His coming, he is not in the storm, or the earthquake, or the fire. These are his heralds. God is in the tiny whispering sound that comes after them. Jesus is the still small voice that whispers to all of us. “Why do you doubt?” “Why are you afraid” “I will be with you always, unto the end of the age.”

Pax Vobiscum
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time