Category: Suffering

Suffering is a worldwide experience of which no human being has the capacity to evade. Nevertheless, suffering can also be optional at times and get to totally depend on how one chooses to look at a tragedy.

Every now and then, different unfortunate happenings that could include loosing money and many others related to constant depression keep on occurring to different people. Suffering actually has the capability to initiate anger and bad temper or at the same time, be the most opportune and perfect learning experience for a soul, that will result in more maturity and more experience in life.

On the other hand, suffering at any given time is always optional for those individuals who choose to look at it from the bright side. Nevertheless, the world is filled by a number of pessimists, who would grade a tragedy as bad luck, an omen and nothing but hell for them.

The most unfortunate issue about such people is that they always end up realizing the criticality of their actions, when they are already too deep in to the turmoil. Such an alarming epic was permanently written in the minds of family and friends by my friend Sharry a couple of years back. Sharry went through the unfortunate experience of braking up with her boyfriend immediately after she had busted him getting friendly with a different girl.

The happening caused an unexplained magnitude of pain to Sherry that no words of consolation or assurance from both her family and I, would restore her hopes for a better and happy life. There are countable times when Sherry tried to take the unexplained direction of hurting herself; a venture that saw her being admitted in the hospital after eventually trying to commit suicide by overdose.

As if that was not irresponsible enough, she at some point surprised her family and friends when she cut herself on the wrist, making us wonder about how much she had gotten used to the idea of torturing herself, to the extent that she needed an additive in the form of physical pain.

Matters got more serious when Sherry started blaming herself every now and then, suggesting that she was not good enough for her now unfaithful boyfriend while looking at herself as not having enough beauty. She constantly insisted on pointing fingers at herself for the separation. The escapades of pain that Sharry was taking herself through would only see me wonder at how much pain one can decide to inflict upon herself, apparently after loosing a boyfriend not to death, but to another girl.

While Sharry was looking at her experience as being a tragic one, without any chances of getting back her joy, my friends and I always discovered that this is the most reasonable happening for Sharry to learn the tricks of independence and live life outside the realms and personal space of another person, for once.

One surprising thing about Sharry is that she had gotten used to her ex- boyfriend so much that everything in her life always rotated around him. There are times when friends would have major parties set up or road trips to go to, but unless Sharry’s boyfriend was coming, Sharry herself would not dare.

She basically ate what he ate, slept when he slept and laughed at only his jokes, which were even not funny to the rest of the world. Total dependence could be a very destructive lifestyle because in the event of the host’s absence, the dependant would end up being incapable of seeing another day. This is basically the story that was beginning to unfold in Sharry’s life.

My friends and I would take sherry out on weekends for ice-cream, where we ate both cups and cones with tantalizing flavors. There are times in the evenings when we would pick her up and take her to coffee shops and restaurants for enticing brands of soothing coffee.

We would also stroll while making intermittent stops at shopping malls to buy interesting apparels that any girl would yearn to have in her closet. During these unwinding and comforting moments, we would look straight in to her face once in a while and with a light touch on her shoulders enlighten her on the truth about life and how positive one should take it even in the occurrence of a tragedy.

When our talk took a very formal direction I would throw in random jokes so as to give her a gentler and lighter moment, even though our talk was of an utterly serious matter. Eventually, she slowed down a little bit and so we brought her to church so that she could meet more caring friends.

Church proved to be the place that would ultimately see Sherry forgive herself. She would fellowship together with other members a thing that brought happiness to her.

The church organized group meetings geared towards cheering her up. We made it a never- ending trend to keep the outings and the shopping sprees going. Once in a while we would go for swimming, where Sherry surprisingly discovered that she was a better swimmer than all of her friends; a talent she never would have discovered if she had continued dating her boyfriend.

Eventually, she felt better day by day just by hanging out and having fun with us. She ultimately got to forgive herself by constant visits to the church; she even turned out to be more active in church activities than all of her friends. Sherry discovered that she too could be dependent and got to love her life more.

Eventually, she met a very handsome boy who is faithful and loves swimming as well. This lucky moment made me realize that my friend’s tragedy ended up creating the best opportunity for her. She has been a great friend, who supports me more than ever before.

Suffering is described in a wider perspective to encompass very many issues other than biological infliction of pain. The level of relationships amongst people within societies may at times result in hurting of each other or at times the result is always of help to one another. Interdependence forms one of the basic structure of personal existence which is also dependent upon supernatural being represented as the Holy Trinity.

Interdependence is all about unity of purpose and solidarity that reflects God’s life. Irrespective of the number of people within a society, individual efforts and contribution should be geared towards mutual edification of man. The nature of care and responsibility is further described by St Paul as follows;

“…just as in a single human body there are many limbs and organs, all of different functions, so all of us, united with Christ, form one body, serving individually as limbs and organs to one another” (Moberly 1978, 4).

This is a good description of Christ’s love that should punctuate existence in any society. The unity of God within the society determines the level of complexity available. However, man should still show unity of purpose in the midst of such kind of complexity.

The good or bad actions are considered the fruits of interdependence which results in the use of terms such as sin and suffering (Moberly 1978, 5). However, morality is everybody’s responsibility and should not be one-sided or rather biased (Moberly 1978, 7).

The issue of interdependence should be restored within community settings, this should encompass restoration of self-giving which leads to control of suffering. God is a just father who administers justice to all; therefore the causes of injustice acts within societies can be attributed to man’s fallen nature in action.

It is a choice for man to either ignore God while in midst of suffering or complain about God, either way suffering or pain is still inevitable (Moberly 1978, 10). The existence of God as moral all-powerful being should not be ignored at any cost. God created human being in His own image to reflect His goodness and avoid all kinds of evil (Moberly 1978, 11-15).

Thesis statement: The issue of suffering is inevitable despite different perspectives from religious groups

Outline

1. Innocent and guilty suffering are considered to be results of some actions considered to be either good or bad
2. There is big contradiction in the understanding of what suffering entails especially from religious point of view

The issue of innocent suffering can well be understood after the inclusion of atonement sacrifice. Suffering is considered to be as a result of sin or actions done contrary to the rules of nature.

Innocent suffering is considered separately from guilty suffering since their existence is widely felt within different community set-ups. Despite all these it should be acknowledged by all human beings that the essence of suffering is inevitable (Moberly 1978, 30).

Sin and suffering are somehow related depending on the kind of actions preceding each. According to Christianity the best and commendable way to suffer is to suffer on behalf of others, this is referred to as vicarious suffering and is contrary to suffering for self which assumes the meaning of innocent suffering (Moberly 1978, 31).

Christianity believes in eternity and this can only be earned when one’s sins are forgiven by God the father and creator of eternity. The issue of reincarnation practiced by the Hindu and the Buddhists seem to be unacceptable in Christian set-up.

Reincarnation asserts that rebirth of human being takes place to enable continuity on suffering and that the nature of rebirth is corollary to the magnitude of sin committed. The Buddhists place so much emphasis on suffering rather than the wrong did (Moberly 1978, 35).

“Buddhism does not maintain a belief in a god; hence one ought not to speak of its approach as a kind of theodicy, which by definition must include reference to God” (Moberly 1978, 47).

They have the belief that guilty suffering is a form of discipline to the ignorant and it comes in surplus.The story of Job gives a good example justifying the suggestion that claims lack of inherent connection between righteousness and prosperity (Moberly 1978, 47).

Conclusion

Guilty suffering tends to focus so much on human responsibility which leads to some unexpected actions. It concurs with the fact that freedom presents human beings with the right to either choose good action or inflict injury. Equation theory maintains that everyone suffers in proportion to the kind of sin one commits which poses the question as to whether the equation is applicable within the space of given lifetime.

It is a belief in some societies that some suffer due to the sins of those who preceded them, or other consequences of sin are transferable from one generation to another unless forgiven through God’s intervention

Thesis statement: Conversion and restoration are the key factors that marks. Beginning of change in an individual

Outline

1. The act of forgiveness is one of the best experiences one can ever have in Christian life
2. Christian life is seen as one of the highest level of interdependence within the society
3. The acts of reconciliation and restoration are some of the basics to successful Christian living

The process of conversion is believed to posses the ability of restoring one’s good moral standards. This can only be achieved through accepting Christ as the savior of one’s life.

The process of conversion follows channel of processes, the first referred to as exorcism which focuses on one’s deliverance from external sources other than that of Christ. The Christian living is more concerned with being set free from the forces of evil and at times is never restricted to evil alone. Exorcism plays a major role in bringing to reality that reorientation that occurs in individuals.

There’s complete renewal and healing of one’s mind that enables them to deal with their filthy past in a more confident manner (Moberly 1978, 122-123). Confessing Christ should be an individual’s decision not generalization within the society and should be accompanied by baptism which symbolizes the whole process of being fully identified with Christ’s resurrection

The process to maturity after conversion demands adoption of Christian principles which includes prayerful life. This reinforces one’s relationship with Christ and should therefore not be taken for granted. A clear relationship with Christ guarantees good fruit by the grace of the living God. The relationship should be based on trust and not made counterfeit.

Self justification is not applicable in this kind of life, since no one has got the ability to transform himself from evil acts to good morals except by the power of the Almighty God (Moberly 1978, 127).

Cleansing is a continuous process and takes place as long as one still has good relationship with God. Man’s obedience and God’s call for renewal are very much interrelated. However, the call demands full response for good results and experiences.

“The active life leads into and it’s taken up by the contemplative life, in that both are stages in the development of one’s relationship with God.”

Life in Christ should be characterized by good actions and deeds borne from good thoughts. These are also identified in the following quote from St Teresa of Avila’s “This is the end of prayer, my daughters, this is what the spiritual marriage is for; from it are always born works, works!” (Moberly 1978, 132).

Christian knowledge is obtained through direct communication with God through prayer it can also be achieved through radical silence. This is also made easy by God revealing Himself within the ordinary environment of human existence.

This makes the process simpler and more basic to every human understanding such that one is without a reason for not accepting the Lordship of God over his/her life. The knowledge of one’s self and that of God is essential for pure and holy living that leads to eternity (Moberly 1978, 134-135).

General conclusion

Suffering is not only brought by evil as some may want to assert, but involves lots of ethical instances and questions that should be addressed appropriately. Many practices including research work have linked suffering to be a resultant consequence of wrong-doing. The field of wrong doing involves two types of people, those who suffer innocently and those who suffer under the influence of guilt (Moberly 1978, 1).

People should have general concern of their fellows within any society set-up so as to reflect the fullness of God head bestowed upon Jesus Christ by God the Father.

This gives the meaning of existence to encompass not only depending on others but having responsibility for others as well. Therefore, entire solution to suffering can be obtained from intimate relationship with God who gives peace of heart and deeper understanding in all happenings within human environment.

Reference List

Moberly, Elizabeth. 1978. Suffering, Innocent and Guilty, 1-135. London: SPCK publishers.

Introduction

The suffering servant in the book of Isaiah chapter 53 refers to the prophet’s song about the future Messiah. Many Jews and other scholars, who mostly refer to the suffering servant as the nation of Israel, misinterpret this controversial chapter.

On the contrary, other scholars argue and interpret the suffering servant as Jesus Christ in the New Testament. The interpretation and application of the chapter have been a debatable issue over a long time, yet the different sides have not agreed on one rendition of the chapter.

The prophetic song describes the sufferings and punishment of the suffering servant in his mission. The chapter is a continuation of the messianic prophecy, which portrays the actual situations and activities of the suffering servant, while executing his sole purpose.

This paper will highlight the actual symbolism of the suffering servant by Isaiah, his missions, and the relationship with the individual servant in the New Testament. Moreover, the paper will describe the relationship between the Messiah and the suffering servant in the prophetic poetic song of Isaiah chapter 53.

The corporate suffering servant

The chapter describes the suffering servant as rejected and despised by the people that he came to save. Moreover, the prophecy describes the servant as the one who undergoes suffering by growing in an unfavorable community of impunity.

Isaiah portrays the suffering servant as neglected and unnoticeable in the society during his growth (Zuck and Campbell 2002, 78-85).

The suffering servant is expressed to be filled with sorrows in his mission. In verse 4 of chapter 53, the suffering servant bears the burden of carrying the iniquities and sins of a people gone astray.

The prophecy by Isaiah reveals the messianic symbolisms of the suffering Messiah; for instance, he was pierced for the sins and transgressions of many. Moreover, the prophetic song illustrates how the servant would suffer in the quest to bring peace and deliver the oppressed.

The suffering servant experiences punishments and sufferings that are meant to pay the price of the people’s sins. For instance, in verse 5, prophet Isaiah says that by his wounds people would be healed. The servant carries the sins of everyone’s wickedness through his innocent suffering.

Furthermore, the suffering servant would not utter a word of objection when the enemies take him to the cross (Zuck and Campbell 2002, 89). The prophet describes the suffering servant as a sacrificial lamb in silent suffering. The messianic prophecy portrays the afflictions of Christ, who would rescue the world.

The world needed an intermediary to connect the wicked sinners to the Almighty God after the fall of man. The chapter on the suffering servant shows how the suffering servant would conquer death to gain glory and honor after suffering.

The suffering servant interpretation

The controversial suffering servant mainly describes the Messiah who is Jesus Christ. The song shows how the suffering Messiah would suffer in his mission to bring salvation to the world. The prophecy foretells the sufferings that the suffering servant, Jesus Christ, would go through in his life.

Many Christians believe that the suffering servant is the prophecy of the ministry of Jesus Christ that comes to fulfillment in the New Testament. Furthermore, the suffering servant, Jesus Christ, is the only person in the Bible who died on behalf of others.

The Bible clearly outlines that the sinless lamb would die and prolong his time, which was fulfilled by Christ after he died and resurrected after defeating the power of darkness. In the prophecy, Isaiah describes the suffering Messiah as the one who would be despised and rejected.

In the New Testament, this prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus’ teachings pointed out that a true prophet is not accepted in his own land. Jesus himself was rejected and his people did not believe in his miracles nor did they believe that he was the chosen Messiah.

In the book of Mathew 8:17, the prophecy comes into fulfillment by acknowledging the prophetic messianic message by Isaiah on relieving the world with iniquities (Zuck and Campbell 2002, 95). The prophecy was delivered in Isaiah 53:4 whereby the suffering servant would bear the pain of the people’s iniquities.

In addition, the suffering servant is portrayed in Isaiah’s prophecy as the one who would carry people’s pains and diseases. The Messiah fulfills the prophecy by dying a sinless death coupled with being wounded for peoples’ sins.

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ was wounded by being pierced in his ribs. The Bible confirms that via the blood of Jesus, people were healed. This statement is a confirmation of the prophecy by prophet Isaiah that he would be pierced for people’s transgressions.

In addition, Jesus was crucified with other two thieves who were prophesied by the messianic prophecy in Isaiah 53:9 (Zuck and Campbell 2002, 106). The prophecy by Isaiah concludes that the suffering servant would be glorified to justify many people. Jesus Christ was the Gods’ son, who was on a mission to rescue the sinners.

Moreover, the Bible in the prophetic message says that the suffering servant would see his offspring and prolong his days. This assertion is evident after Jesus’s resurrection. The offspring of Jesus Christ includes the individuals who surrender and accept the unmerited Gods’ salvation.

The New Testament affirms that Jesus Christ is God’s son, and thus in a bid to gain salvation sinners simply need to accept him (Zuck and Campbell 2002, 125). This aspect fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy on Messiah that the suffering servant’s days would be prolonged.

Apparently, no other person in the Bible that bore other people’s transgressions except Jesus. Moreover, the Bible refers to Jesus as the blameless lamb in the New Testament, which is quoted by Prophet Isaiah on the suffering servant (Zuck and Campbell 2002, 130).

Therefore, Jesus Christ represents the suffering servant who suffers greatly for other people’s sins. Furthermore, the suffering servant’s traits are portrayed in Jesus; for instance, he was born in a humble background, died for the people’s sins, suffered in silence, and prolonged his days through resurrection.

Ultimately, in the history of the Bible, no one had these characteristics of Isaiah’s prophecy except the Messiah.

The relationship between the suffering servant and the New Testament

The New Testament fulfills the prophecies about the Messiah in the Old Testament. The suffering servant in the New Testament is regarded as Jesus Christ, who died for the transgressions and iniquities of the people.

The New Testament confirms the prophecies of the Messiah mainly through the great suffering that the Messiah would go through. In Isaiah 53:12, the suffering servant is allegedly rejected and despised because he is in an unaccomplished mission to save ignorant people through divine punishment.

His unique humiliation was beyond human power for the acceptance of the severe suffering and the painful crucifixion. Evidently, sin and the cross are inseparable.

Moreover, Christ’s work in atoning for the sin lies on the cross. Christ absorbed God’s wrath, which was brought about by sin from humanity. Prophet Isaiah prophesies this issue where the suffering servant would bear the inequities of the sinners.

Christ took charge to become an intermediary between people and God. He absorbed the consuming fire of Gods’ wrath in his own flesh and represented every sinner therein (Zuck and Campbell 2002, 136).

The best understanding of the suffering servant comes from the point of view that the Father would send his own son to take all the accusations of sin from his people. He would make a flesh sacrifice for every sinner. In fact, in Mathew 20:17-19, Jesus Christ knew what was going to happen, and thus he told his disciples about his crucifixion.

The Bible further clarifies that Jesus was like a sheep without resistance, which comes out clearly when he was arrested without a warrant, but he never resisted. The death was unfair and unjust. Salvation is the work design of the Father and son. In Isaiah 53:11, the suffering servant knows what he would be doing.

He knew his mission and what his Father needed.

The controversy lies in the definition of the Messiah. Some individuals believe that Jesus was not the promised messiah. Therefore, even though his life’s occurrences and sufferings fit the descriptions given by Isaiah, he does not qualify because he is allegedly not the messiah.

However, to the group of individuals that believe that Jesus was the promised messiah, they believe that he is the suffering servant according to the prophecy by Isaiah.

Conclusion

The controversial debate on Isaiah’s poetic song by Jews and other scholars that the prophecy is not about the Messiah, Jesus Christ, lies in the view that they do not acknowledge him as the Messiah. The messianic prophecy in Isaiah is fulfilled in the New Testament through Jesus Christ and his mission.

However, many modern scholars argue that the prophecy is about the nation of Israel. On the contrary, the New Testament shows the fulfillment of the messianic prophecy through Jesus Christ. Through his sufferings and punishments, sins were forgiven and God’s greatness was portrayed through resurrection as prophesied by Isaiah.

Reference

Zuck, Roy, and Campbell Donald. 2002. Basic Bible Interpretation: A Practical Guide to Discovering Biblical Truth. New York, NY: David C Cook.

Jainism or Jain Dharma is an ancient dharmic religion preaching no harm to any living being. The homeland of this doctrine is in India, where the majority of its followers are located. Today, there are a growing number of communities in various countries whose members support the philosophy of Jainism. Jainism is based, first of all, on the continuous self-improvement of the soul to achieve all-power, all-out and eternal bliss. The soul that got rid of the body shell and reached nirvana becomes a jiva. Much can be found in this religion in common with Buddhism. Both religions view suffering as an integral part of samsara – being.

The central concept of religion is the belief that the soul is immortal, yet dependent. Such dependence refers to the individual’s exposure to birth and all the resulting suffering. Proper behavior helps to free the soul from karma, which causes dependence and suffering. When the soul is freed from karma, it acquires divine (pure) consciousness, infinite knowledge, perception, and happiness. To clean karma, among other things, it is necessary to win by the power of spirit all suffering and deprivation resulting from hunger, thirst, heat, cold.

Unlike Buddhism, where it is necessary not to give up all desires to avoid suffering, in Jainism, it is vital not to harm living beings. This principle is called Ahimsa – no harm to the living. If a person does not fulfill this vow, it is pointless to obey the other rules. This principle includes not only a ban on physical harm but on words and actions, as those can also hurt. That is why people need to be careful about what and how they say. Besides, this principle includes non-absolutism – respect for the opinion and view of the world of another being. Ignoring this rule, albeit indirectly, can cause harm and makes karma worse that causes human suffering.

Systematic studies of counseling and its contribution to various aspects of human life have provided a considerable amount of unconditional evidence of the significant impact of this area on various aspects of human life, especially in critical situations. This is why counseling suffering clients is essential. Indeed, faith in God allows you to better cope with critical situations. It provides protection, but not as an avoidance of a collision with reality, but, on the contrary, opens up new sources of strength in order to endure this collision and meet a critical situation face to face. Religion allows tragic events to be rethought, rather than supplanted.

In the process of spiritual development, a person develops a spiritual disposition, a certain personal sense of the spiritual, which is affirmed in identity (McMinn, 2012). When various critical situations arise, this disposition can be significantly transformed. Therapists should pay attention to the characteristics of the restructuring of the spiritual worldview: a person can either discard his religious beliefs and plunge into a crisis, get hung up on it, or assert his beliefs, using them as a resource to overcome a critical situation, if turning to the spiritual sphere will contribute to the realization of one from the above functions.

There are three main guidelines for dealing with suffering clients. First, providing emotional comfort. Second, is the motivation for personal change. God is the God of truth, and God is unchanging. We have to change, but it takes much work, especially when a person is in a critical situation. However, only through change will light come. Third, discovering, building relationships with what is holy, sacred, spiritual for a person.

Based on the above, I would tell the client that there may be an attempt to avoid colliding with the reality of the individual’s emotions. Greater joint efforts are needed to find new sources of strength through faith and repentance. Through further work, it is necessary to go further together to establish new beliefs and create a new identity.

However, as section A.11.a of the ACA Code of Ethics (American Counseling Association, 2014) states, “If counselors lack the competence to be of professional assistance to clients, they avoid entering or continuing counseling relationships. Counselors are knowledgeable about culturally and clinically appropriate referral resources and suggest these alternatives. If clients decline the suggested referrals, counselors discontinue the relationship “(6). Following this guideline, I will make sure that the client is free to c her counselors if they feel dissatisfied and cannot continue with this line of counseling. The client’s well-being comes first, and oat some critical situations, they may need additional help.

References

American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA code of ethics.

McMinn, M. R. (2012). Psychology, theology, and spirituality in Christian counseling. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Introduction

In the history of the human kind, scholars have observed suffering as an inevitable fact. Although theologians have sought to find explanations to the reason why innocent people suffer and reasons for occurrence of bad things in the lives of the good people, they are yet to explore its mystery, which is beyond human comprehension. Theologians define suffering as the God’s mysterious manifestation in the lives of His people. Most ethicists have ventured to answer the question of suffering without a conclusive realization. It is indeed presumptuous for the human kind to struggle to understand a concept that escaped the comprehension of the biblical Moses. In this paper, I see suffering as the mystery of God that we cannot understand but we can derive benefits and significant lessons of life. Using the biblical story of Job, I will demonstrate how the Christian’s worldview would support a Christian nurse’s thoughts and actions in a suffering situation. I will reinforce the benefits and purposes of suffering based on this story.

Suffering; Job’s story

Job’s story is the mystery of suffering. Job was a good person and innocent in the eyes of the people and in the face of God. According to Job 1.1 “There was a man in the Land of UZ, whose name was Job, and the man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (King James Version). How could such man of God undergo suffering? According to Christian worldview, Job’s suffering was God’s manifestation to his life (Rohrs, 2009, p.60). Although he had been faithful to God, Christian’s worldview holds that God wanted to reveal to people that life is all about the service for their fellow humankind. As per Job 1.5, the suffering was God’s punishment on behalf of the sins of his sons.

Christian’s worldview is that, we are all called for the service of other people. Indeed, Jesus suffered for salvation of the world. The thought of Christian nurses on their roles in suffering is to serve and save the suffering people; consequently, Christian worldview supports their actions. In Job’s situation, nurse’s immediate act is to rescue the victim from suffering. For Christian nurses it is their responsibility and the call of God to serve the individual and that is actually the Christian worldview.

As per the Christian worldview, Job’s suffering emphasizes God’s sovereignty over the human life. They view suffering as a form of God’s means to show His mightiness over creation as the sovereign creator whose decisions none has the autonomy to criticize. He is indeed the creator and the sustainer of human life (Yancey, 1977, p. 43). This perception influences the actions of nurses in two significant ways: First, by comprehension of the mighty of God through suffering, nurses act as God’s representatives to accomplish His mighty mission to human life.

This further motivates the Christian nurses to execute their duties as if it were for God Himself (Sproul, 1994, p. 15). Secondly, the view makes nurses feel part of the mysteries of God. As the Christian worldview holds, suffering is an enigma that human kind is impossible to understand. Nurses’ contribution in salvation of the suffering has made the world to perceive them as having unveiled to a greater extend the mysteries of God. Evidently, Job’s suffering is a lesson to Christians and Postmodernists that God’s control over human life is a mystery beyond human comprehension.

Christians view suffering as an encouragement to prayer, faith, and trust in God. The Bible presents Job as faithful and trustworthy to God; in fact, according to most versions of the Bible, Job “sinned not” (Job 1: 9). His trust faced a good test of time during his suffering; his wife’s advice to denounce God exposed him as indeed trustworthy in the eyes of God. Worldview holds that desperate times call for desperate measures. During suffering, as worldview asserts, people pray and relook into their relationship with God and even hem their ways (Grimstead& Beisner, 1999, p.9). These views significantly influence the nurse’s thought and actions in suffering, in terms of trust in execution of their mandate as Christians. The view further enables the nurses to put themselves into the situations of the suffering and hence relook into their relationship with God. Broadly, Christian worldview on suffering results into ethical actions of the nurses in situations of suffering. Further, Job’s suffering teaches the Christians and the world that, God is the ultimate solution and inspiration to the human endurance.

The influence of Christian worldview on thoughts and actions of Christian nurses applies to the recent Haiti suffering that ensued after a severe earthquake rocked the country. Nurses took a voluntary role to treat and care for the victims of the calamity. Analogous to Job’s situation, they offered hope and strength through prayer and service to the victims. The situation, as per worldview, offered an opportunity for the people of Haiti to turn back and realize the mighty of hand God in their thriving. This practical case therefore can lead to a conclusive definition of suffering; it is the mysterious disorganization of the natural order at individual or collective levels.

Conclusion

Theme of suffering is a mystery that human kind has not yet unveiled; however, suffering is associated with a wide range of benefits to Christians- it has a purpose in the life of human being. Suffering creates the deepest conviction for God’s presence in the human life, which is the ultimate mission for sovereignty of God. The story of Job is a revelation and justification for the assertion of the mystery of suffering. Christian’s worldview on suffering positively influences the actions and thoughts of Christian nurses in situations of suffering.

References

Grimstead, J., & Beisner, C. (1999). The Christian World View of Helping the Hurting. USA: The Coalition on Revival, Inc.

Rohrs, R. (2009). Job and the Mystery of Suffering. New York: Crossroad Publishing Company.

Sproul, R.C. (1994). Faith and suffering. Journal of Christian Nursing, 11 (1), 14-17.

Yancey, P. (1977). Where is God when it hurts? Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

Adolescence is a developmental stage characterized by numerous physical, mental, and emotional changes in the lives of individuals. Subsequently, children who reach adolescence are sensitive to their environments and experiences. Hence, exposure to recurring traumatic events like the loss of friends loved ones, and emotional setbacks can significantly interfere with their growth, development, and mental health. Over the years, youth counselors have resolved to several solutions to address the issues affecting adolescents who exhibit complex interpersonal trauma and associated conditions, including distant counseling and therapy using technological solutions. Therefore, the following paragraphs feature research conducted to investigate practitioners’ experiences with adolescents suffering from complex trauma.

Counseling is an activity that obligates connectedness and strong bonds between a therapist and their clients. According to Amari & Mahoney, (2022), these associations build trust and aid in the recovery process. Thus, the encounter and relationships of patients and practitioners are critical, especially in cases where clients suffer from the implications of various traumatic experiences that evoke strong emotions. Amari & Mahoney, (2022) sought to answer the research question, what are practitioners’ experiences when working with complex interpersonal trauma adolescent patients? As a result, the researchers adopted a snowball sampling technique to recruit five mental health practitioners with experience in child and adolescent counseling to help answer this question. The researchers collected qualitative data using semi-structured interviews that were recorded and transcribed. Thereafter, they employed phenomenological data analysis to identify relevant themes.

The research mentioned above focused on the sense of self and in-person relationships when dealing with adolescents experiencing trauma. According to the results, the practitioners proposed three themes, including “a practitioner’s presence,” “The distance-relationship dynamic,” and “The unknown self” (Amari & Mahoney, 2022). The respondents suggest that long distance is a limiting factor because it erodes connectedness and creates confusion. In addition, they claimed that self-awareness is critical as practitioners’ deficiencies can be detrimental to their patients. Lastly, the results suggest that therapists’ presence and their ability to empathize with patients instead of justifying wrong behaviors can lead to better results.

The research is relevant and reliable as it obtains information from credible respondents and practitioners who have worked with trauma adolescents for several years. The study is generalizable and representative because it focuses on the experiences of therapists who have worked with several adolescents. However, the study population is comprised of five individuals, which is a small number to obtain sufficient and more comprehensive results. Nevertheless, the respondents appropriately answer the research question, thus allowing a thorough analysis of the obtained results. The information obtained from the study is relevant in therapy and applicable in practical counseling as it can assist psychologists to assess themselves and evaluate the impact of their treatment strategies. Therefore, the research can help improve the lives of youth and adolescents suffering from the ramifications of complex traumatic experiences.

Adolescents go through various issues that might interfere with their health, education, and positive development. On some occasions, they experience traumatic events that influence their well-being. Although therapists adopt various solutions to cater to these individuals’ issues, it is critical to investigate the effectiveness of their approaches and therapeutic interventions that can improve treatment results. The featured study investigates therapists’ experiences when working with traumatic adolescents. The research suggests that personal relationships, proximity, and self-awareness on the part of practitioners are crucial for the best results. Thus, the research can guide practitioners on the best solutions to advance their approaches when working with adolescents.

Reference

Amari, N., & Mahoney, A. (2022). Working Relationally with Adolescents Who Have Experienced Complex Interpersonal Trauma: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 15(1), 75-87. Web.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and fibromyalgia syndrome have been often defined as linked conditions due to the similarity of symptoms exhibited by the patients. Furthermore, according to the study conducted by Hauser et al. (2013), the majority of patients eligible for analysis and the assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder and fibromyalgia were women (93.9%) (p. 1216). Therefore, the importance of assessing how posttraumatic growth can affect women, especially mothers that suffer from fibromyalgia and experience a number of disruptions in their lifestyle are an issue that requires further exploration.

Pain and overwhelming fatigue, cognitive impairment, as well as sleep dysfunction, are the main symptoms of fibromyalgia (Sumpton & Moulin, 2009, p. 477); therefore, the lifestyle of a patient, especially a mother, is challenged to a great extent. In such cases, mothers with fibromyalgia are advised to engage in physical activities that increase the well-being as well as prevent the muscles from wasting, subsequently reducing the chronic pain and tiredness (A.D.A.M., 2013, para. 1).

The lifestyle of a mother with posttraumatic growth and fibromyalgia is challenged by physical and psychological pain on a daily basis, which greatly influences the immediate family, which, in turn, has to make some changes in lifestyle to relieve the mother from her day-to-day duties that she cannot accomplish due to her condition.

To relieve the symptoms of posttraumatic growth in mothers suffering from fibromyalgia, it is often advised to take antidepressants in low dosages so that the patient is able to deal with chronic sleep and pain problems. Mothers that do not get enough sleep due to the constant pain are challenged to exist in a family with children and other relatives since they lack the energy and physical wellness to perform as mothers. Therefore, a framework for positive change in a household where a mother is challenged by PTSD and fibromyalgia directly relates to making changes among all family members in order to relieve the mother from usual duties. It is important for the family to understand why the mother needs to rest for some time, so that the family’s activities can change from playing outside to reading a book inside while the mother is resting, for instance.

However, changes in family behavior are not what will induce positive change for PTSD and fibromyalgia since the treatment requires some talk and body therapy for the patient, which can include the techniques for meditation, changes to undertake a new hobby and sleep improvement strategies. Positive change transformations occur when a patient starts achieving the balance between mental and physical health that has been challenged by PTSD and fibromyalgia.

Posttraumatic growth will develop as soon as the patient starts appreciating life, recognizes a possibility for positive change in the chronic condition, improves the relationships with the immediate family (Picoraro, Womer, Kazak, & Feudtner, 2014, p. 209). It is important to note that family and overall social support are instrumental in achieving positive change regarding posttraumatic growth.

To conclude, solutions for treating the symptoms of PTDS and fibromyalgia as well as the achievement of posttraumatic growth in women are vast and continue to develop and grow. For example, the study conducted by Burgess et al. (2016) explored morning versus evening bright light home treatment for relieving the pain sensitivity in women suffering from the condition (p. 160). According to the results, both evening and morning treatments caused improvements in women’s sensitivity towards pain.

References

A.D.A.M. (2013). Fibromyalgia: Lifestyle changes.

Burges, H., Park, M., Ong, J., Shakoor, N., Williams, D., & Burns, J. (2016). Morning versus evening bright light treatment at home to improve function and pain sensitivity for women with fibromyalgia: A Pilot Study.

Hauser, W. et al. (2013). Posttraumatic stress disorder in fibromyalgia syndrome: Prevalence, temporal relationship between posttraumatic stress and fibromyalgia symptoms, and impact on clinical outcome. Pain, 154(8), 1216-1223.

Picoraro, J., Womer, J., Kazak, A., & Feudtner, C. (2014). Posttraumatic growth in parents and pediatric patients. J Palliat Med, 17(2), 209-218.

Sumpton, J., & Moulin, D. (2009). Fibromyalgia: Presentation and management with a focus on pharmacological treatment. Pain Res Manag, 13(6), 477-483.

Introduction

Man’s pursuit for happiness often comes with distraction from achieving the core purpose of living. The prevailing social, economic and political world systems have corrupted man’s understanding of the meaning of life. A good number of people have lived through tough times and overcome this misunderstanding.

Suffering has added meaning to their lives. Dr. Viktor Frankl is one such person, who while living in dehumanizing conditions of a Nazi concentration camp, found the true meaning of his life through suffering (Frankl 94). It is better to have a tough life that is meaningful than to lead an easy, happy life.

Meaning is Treasurable and Fulfilling

While happiness is a popularized and volatile mental state, finding meaningfulness in life is a rare treasure. The value of having meaningfulness in one’s life lasts for as long as one lives but happiness is fragile. The fragility of happiness emanates from its dependency on factors beyond its own control.

Sometimes such factors are also beyond the control of the person. It is because of the enduring nature of meaning, that one would be better off pursuing it than being just happy. People who lead an easy and happy life often have a stronger connection to the present than to the future. The connection is mainly made up of one’s strong link to the material world and self-appraisal. The stability of this mental state lies in one’s capability to maintain a descent self, to hold to the material things or both.

Suffering Brings About Meaning

Humiliation and calamities are examples of occurrences, which can demote one from a state of happiness, to one that he or she does not understand. Leading a meaningful life, on the other hand, connects one’s past to his or her future through the present (Smith 1). The constructive nature of meaning does not allow omission of one’s past or future from the purposefulness that it renders to life. People who are compelled by anything to find such meaning are often saddened by realities of nature.

This saddening is perfectly normal but it is often patched up in pursuit for happiness. The need to patch things up is an evasive approach to reality, and this is how most happiness states are achieved. The approach disconnects man from his intended position in nature, which is to be an intelligent solution provider to issues. We often find ourselves trading this responsibility for self-satisfaction.

Happiness is Superficial

Happiness in its actuality, is a superficial expression. Only a logical reason for being happy adds value to it (Smith 1). The basis of some people’s happiness is contestable, as it is for all sadists. A happy life is one that is either full of appreciation, comfort or lavishness. When some or all of these things are taken away, suffering comes in and the ability to endure it becomes a fate determinant.

People who endure suffering transcend their minds from the superficiality of happiness towards self-actualization. At this point one is compelled to get to the true meaning of life, and realize that this is the primary purpose of living. The meaning that is found is specific to one’s life only (Frankl 105). The uniqueness and individuality of each person offers man a purpose to live through dehumanizing conditions.

On realizing his inability to leave behind a duplicate of himself, man is compelled to explore his potential (Smith 1). Suffering often comes in form of threats of extermination through distress, pain or humiliation. The true nature of such extermination is permanent disconnection from the things or people that one treasures. It makes one to realize the worth that lies in simple things, as well as the importance of the people around him (Smith 1).

A meaningful Life is Pursuable in Suffering

The importance of incorporating meaning in life is portrayed in the reception that Frankl’s book has been given worldwide. The book’s feverish sales in millions of copies demonstrates a strong connection that people have to suffering and search for meaning (Smith 1).

Frankl stresses on meaningfulness of life, value in suffering, as well as personal responsibility to things that are beyond man’s control. Happiness has become a cultural demand globally. As a result of this globalization of happiness, most people fail to realize that it cannot be created. It is through living a meaningful life, which focusses on suffering that happiness ensues as a side-effect of such an endeavor (Frankl 103). One should therefore never make happiness become a central agenda for living because it cannot be pursued.

Happiness is Fragile and Risky

Happiness is a risky endeavor. Its building blocks are usually fragile and slight changes in one’s status quo may lead to sudden loss of one’s self. People who are used to being happy have the potential of becoming self-destructive in the event of slight oppression or loss of treasured things (Baumeister 11).

The ability to invoke self-destruction depicts the level of selfishness that lies in happiness. Happiness would rather destroy you than be separated from you. The trait can be seen in the tendency to hold on to things that are so dear to a happy person, even when letting them go could mean saving another person’s life. Suffering on the other hand, strengthens and prepares one against calamities, making them become easy in taking some substantial level of risk to help other people.

Conclusion

In conclusion, suffering brings meaning to life and this meaning surpasses the superficial benefits that happiness renders to any life. Happiness does not add to the core purpose of living, instead it often benefits from realizing it. People should therefore strive to realize what they stand for instead of pursuing happiness.

Works Cited

Baumeister, Roy F. The Psychology of Irrationality: Why People Make Foolish Self-Defeating Choices. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. 11. Print.

Frankl, Viktor. Man’s Search for Meaning. 4th edn. Boston: Beacon Press, 1992. 94-105. Print.

Smith, Emily. “There’s More to Life than Being Happy.” The Atlantic. 2013. Web.

Life is unexplainable. The philosophers and scientists have delved deep to understand the true meaning of life. The understanding of the meaning of life remains a mystery as yet. There have been so many attempts to seek the pathways that would direct an individual to learn more about life. The philosophers do say that there are two types of directions in life. There are good directions, and then there are bad directions. The places and time matter a lot when such directions have been met. The goal of this essay is to seek enlightenment that Life is a sea of misery, and sorrow gives sense to life.

Life is a sea of misery

Life becomes a misery afflicted with sorrowful events in places that are war struck. Vietnam too was no exception. With people fighting for their survival more so than for their countries. They fought. They resisted. They died. Their earthly bodies met with the earth in stark similarity to their umbilical cords being buried in the earth when born. Thus life is a cycle. It has everything to tell. The stories of sorrows and happiness continue to fold and unfold one after another, with uncertainty being the only certainty. The balance between sorrow and happiness keeps moving either way. War brings tales of innumerable sufferings; wounds, blood, death, refugees, homelessness, loneliness, food scarcity, diseases, environmental degradation, etc. In the story ‘Child of two worlds’, the protagonist remembers how his mother cannot forget anything about her past in Vietnam, though the family had moved to America as a refugee. The letters from the homeland continued to outpour the bitter memories of the past. (Bible.org)

The mother understands the truth and differences between the native and the adopted nation, but the child is in two worlds, one world depicts the outside and the other an inside world. There is a constant tussle between these two worlds, and in due course of time, it demarcates the meaningful states of sorrow and happiness. Being a war driven refugee in a foreign, initially lead to a lot of struggle for the family and the vivid images are still intact in the mother’s memory while the child does remember his past of helplessness but the land of hope, America has with time erased much of the grief. The story has a contrasting depiction of space, time, and inter-relations with life. The mother is so much attached to Vietnam, her ancestry, her customs, and more precisely, her home. The child is in awe of the American dream and happenings that have recreated the magic and brought back happiness in their lives. The child remembers the achievements in terms of the degrees that were earned in America. While the mother tries to set up a connection between the traditional past, the fascinating present, and a hopeful future; the son is in wonder to understand if this is present and we have a future, then why think of the grievous past.

Sorrow gives meaning to life

If an individual remains in the state of happiness forever, he may not experience the other side of life. The alternates of sorrow and happiness expose an individual to a distinct learning atmosphere. Sorrow adds meaning to life as one fights to survive a day, then another day, and so on. The fight continues till the individual either wins or loses the battle. Even in this story, the central character has put a lot of emphasis on how an individual, a family, or a population survives the sorrowful state of war and devastation. There is always hope for a future that is as bright as Sun. This element of hope is an essential ingredient to add continuous drive to life, especially when everything is out of order and randomized. The sorrow gives the experience to face the moments of truth far more easily than a happy state. The will to fight gathers momentum. The mother lives through the memories to seek strength to tackle problems that she or the family might face in the future. Our connections bring a sense of belongingness that proves useful at all times. (goldenrosycross.org.au)

The stories of a beautiful princess and the fisherman resulted in the fatal end of unrequited love, and other Vietnamese tales were told just to prepare the next generation for grief and cataclysm. There is a grand addition to the meaning of life. If you can withstand sorrow, then down the time the person may achieve things in humility and there would be no pride for it. It is so essential to a true being, and this is the central message of the story too. Even the author acknowledges that his Vietnamese childhood experience is magic that continues to inform and inspire him though he is far away from his motherland and its problems. The writer also wants to point out that it was sufferings that drove many Vietnamese to America and now they were doing well in life. So the contribution of sorrow cannot be ignored.

Life is no doubt a sea of suffering. These can be a day to day challenges that may range from worse to worst. The sufferings constantly remind an individual that sorrow and happiness are two sides of the same coin. With space and time, one is bound to experience the worst too. But these experiences are the ones that would count in countering future challenges. One must remain fully awake to enjoy the blissful state and also to tackle the sorrow. Sorrow and grief are never easy. Thus past sufferings add meaning to life.

Works Cited

Bible.org. “Things God Wants Us to Know.” Bible.org, 2011.

“Happiness and Sorrow.” goldenrosycross.org.au, 2011. Web.