Monday, January 7, 2008 - To Love Is To Suffer!
I was fortunate enough to learn from a priest! Circa 2000, I met a priest who offered what he called a “What is Faith” class. As he explained, he was only a couple of years removed from the seminary, so he wanted to “regurgitate” what he had learned! He was an engineer prior to “finding his calling”, so his explanations were very well balanced. I, and about ten other fortunate people, we’re at the right place at the right time. The class was on Thursday eves from seven to nine, for six months, and I did not miss one class! I learned “the big picture” about my Christian faith, and understood what the Bible is all about, without having to memorize it!
After the class, I was asked by the Youth Director of the church to teach Confirmation, and I gladly obliged. I taught for five years, from 2001 to 2005. I gained a totally new respect for anyone who taught! At the end of these Confirmation classes, the entire Youth Group were invited to attend a “retreat” up in the mountains, right before they graduate. I was always invited to do a “talk”, and this was one of them. I gave this talk in 2003.
I recently came across the meaning of the word “patient”. It is a Greek derived word, meaning, “to suffer”. “What a cool word”, I thought! Then I came across one of the most famous passages from the Bible, Corinthians 13. If you’ve ever been in a Christian wedding, you most likely have heard of it. It’s the one that goes:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude and it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.”
In other words, to love is to suffer! How enlightening! Paul, the man who wrote this letter to the Greeks, was trying to define the word love. So what’s his first and foremost definition? To love is “to suffer”! Paul would eventually be canonized. A saint. But man did he suffer!
Now the fog gets lifted. Patience in love. Patience in growth. Patience in relationships. Patience in healing. Patience in waiting. Isn’t that what our existence is all about? “Always pain before the child is born”, so the saying goes. And how many times have you heard: “You’ve got to pay your dues!” “You’ve got to suffer before you make it, then the treasure is so worth gaining!” So very true.
Have you ever been to Disneyland? It is the happiest place on earth. It is absolutely heaven for most people. The rides, the colors, the childhood characters, the smiles on kids’ faces, the food, the fun, the fun, the fun! You love your kids, so where do you take them? You go to Disneyland!
But if you really think about it, what do you mostly do at Disneyland?
That’s right. You suffer! All the waiting! Your tired feet! Then you wait some more. The prices of everything! Then wait even more!
But like life, it’s worth every second of pain!
To love is to suffer!
Be patient. Keep working hard. Keep going. You’ll make it!
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