Although the book is only feet away from me, ennui prevents me from moving from my bed and taking it from the shelf. Albert Camus wrote something about suicide and absurdity in The Myth of Sisiphus[sic]; that it’s not until a person becomes fully conscious about the absurdity of life, it’s sheer pointlessness, do they either consider suicide or recovery. I’ve considered both, and let’s just say, the former solution seems the more appealing in my case. I’m still here though, and the fact that I am, is simply because my current purpose and the uncertainty of whether God will be merciful as opposed to judgemental, prevents me from taking a permanent holiday from the temporal to the spiritual.
You may think I’m experiencing an existential crisis, but I’m really not. I’d definitely take issue with anyone with an iota of Christian faith if they claimed to be enduring such a thing. If you have faith, then you must be open to God’s plan, after all, ‘11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11. I’m really not certain how one expresses a note of sarcasm in a textual way, but if you think that’s perhaps what I’m being, sarcastic, really, I’m not. That particular quote, once scrawled onto the frontispiece of a bible I received as gift quite a few years ago, made a huge impact on me, and for a time, I never doubted those words for one second; I still don’t to be honest, but the words hurt me. They shouldn’t, but they do. But I should embrace my hardships, shouldn’t I? In Christianity, hardships and troubles are often seen as opportunities for growth, strengthening faith, and deepening spiritual understanding. Embracing them doesn’t mean enjoying them, but rather finding meaning and purpose in them, trusting in God’s plan, and relying on His strength to overcome them. It’s about seeing them as part of a bigger picture (I detest that phrase as much as I detest the phrase, for the greater good) and believing that they can ultimately lead to greater things.
The Parable of the Sower comes to mind: I think I’m somewhere between the rocky and the thorny soils at present. The parable emphasises the importance of having a receptive heart to God’s message and warns against the dangers of spiritual complacency, superficiality, and worldly distractions. It challenges listeners to examine their hearts and strive to be like the fertile soil, ready to receive and nurture the message of God’s kingdom for spiritual growth and fruitfulness. Fortunately, I’m content that I’m far from the seed that falls on the path; the birds come immediately and peck up the seeds. In other words, the devil plucks it away (more on this in a later post – a ‘parable project’ I’ve been nurturing for years).
Enough waffling, though I do want to finish this post with something interesting. The story of Job.
The story of Job is found in the Hebrew Bible’s book of Job, the Old Testament, and is a rich and complex narrative that raises profound questions about suffering, faith, and the nature of God.
Job is introduced as a righteous and prosperous man who lives in the land of Uz. He’s described as blameless, upright, and God-fearing, with a large family and great wealth. In a heavenly assembly, Satan (or ‘the Accuser’) challenges God’s assertion that Job is righteous solely because he has been blessed with prosperity and protection. Satan argues that if Job were to face suffering and loss, he’d surely curse God. God permits Satan to test Job, with the condition that his life be spared. Job undergoes extreme trials, including the loss of his possessions, children, and health. Despite his suffering, Job remains faithful to God, refusing to curse him. Job’s three friends – Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar – come to comfort him. However, their attempts to explain Job’s suffering within the framework of divine justice lead to theological debates. They argue that Job must have sinned to deserve such punishment, while Job maintains his innocence. Throughout the dialogue, Job expresses profound despair, questioning the justice of God and longing for an explanation for his suffering. He wrestles with the apparent contradiction between his righteousness and the calamities that have befallen him. After Job and his friends have exhausted their arguments, God responds from a whirlwind. Rather than providing a direct answer to Job’s questions, God’s speech emphasises the grandeur and mystery of creation, reminding Job of the limitations of human understanding. In response to God’s revelation, Job humbles himself, acknowledging his finite knowledge and recognising God’s sovereignty. God rebukes Job’s friends for their misguided attempts to explain divine mysteries and commands them to make offerings for forgiveness. Job’s fortunes are then restored, and he receives double what he had before.
The story of Job explores profound theological themes, including the nature of suffering, the problem of evil, and the limits of human wisdom. It challenges simplistic notions of divine justice and invites readers to wrestle with the complexities of faith and the mystery of God’s ways.
The story portrays a complex narrative in which suffering serves as a test of faith, ultimately leading to a deeper understanding of God’s sovereignty and the limitations of human understanding. While the question of why God allowed Satan to afflict Job remains unanswered in a straightforward sense, the story invites contemplation and reflection on the nature of suffering and faith.
If you’ve made it to the end, well done. And thank you.
Wording 