Social Reality Confronts Faith

What I believe is being tested by what is happening around me. I believe in God but many brilliant people tell me there is no God. Why? Because there is so much pain, suffering and death around. If He exists He would not allow this to happen. But my faith insists He does. I must look for the right answer.

Somewhere in His revealed dealings with His creatures, He wants me to consider pain, suffering and death in two ways. One way is to consider them as a problem; another is to look at them as a mystery. Human sciences can help us respond to the problems arisen from pain, suffering and death.

Considered as mystery, pain, suffering and death are God’s instruments in loving us and giving us new life. His Son Jesus the Christ embraces all that which is God’s way of glorifying him on the cross.

The cross is the symbol of my faith reminding me always that God exists and His presence can be felt, because of faith, in those who experience pain, suffering and death which is not the end. There is life after death.

So when social realities that bring about pain, suffering and death confront me I must always be reminded of this mystery. It is called The Paschal Mystery, the passage or pass-over of Jesus from death to new life. This gives meaning to my life lived in the midst of harsh social realities.

This means Christian life must happen in terms of transition or passage: from death to new life or its equivalent: from darkness to light, from slavery to freedom, from weakness to strength, from decay to growth, etc. This is called the power of the Risen Lord alive even in the midst of the present social realities.