I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Paul concludes his second letter to the Corinthians with much talk about fools. And suffering. My college had an organization of “Holy Fools”, faithful students who dressed up as clowns to spread God’s good news. I wasn’t part of that, and honestly, I found it silly. That says a lot more about me any my immature faith, than it does about their faith-filled actions. I attended church, occasionally, but still considered myself religious. And I was in that period of life where I was sorting out what faith meant to me, what it looked like. At that time, I wasn’t feeling cloaked and protected enough in Christ to assume the foolish mantle of a clown. I feel that has changed.
While I still would not likely dress up as a clown, there are plenty of other foolish things I have done and would do still because I feel more protected. I’ve dressed up in long black robes in the rain, and tried to impose ashes on people’s foreheads at a run-down bus station. I’ve taken jobs for much less money and stature. I’ve purchased incredibly rundown homes in rundown neighborhoods to resurrect the homes and provide housing for others.
I feel like because of Christ, I don’t think twice about things that might seem foolish to others. For this maturity of faith, I am extremely grateful.
Paul also talks a lot about suffering. That because he is weak, Christ can be strong. It was through the accompanying meditation of Pope John Paul II that I have a better understanding of this. John Paul writes, “[T]o suffer means to become particularly susceptible, particularly open to the working of the salvific powers of God, offered to humanity in Christ.” While salvific is not a word I use frequently, or ever, it is pretty powerful. To bring about our salvation or redemption through God. Basically, the notion is that when we are suffering, when we are empty, we have space for God’s power in us. Blinding flash of the obvious for me.
It's not that God makes us suffer so God can show how powerful and redemptive God is. Rather, suffering is part of our humanity, much of it we bring on ourselves through worry about the future and regret about the past. But it’s when we suffer that we actually turn to God for help.
This morning, I woke up and was in a singularly spectacular mood. The early spring robins were sounding their wake up call, my coffee was perfect, and my candle lit the first time. I didn’t once think that I needed God during that revelry. Yes, I was grateful. But not dependent or needy.
This morning, I want to remember that suffering provides space for God to act and that when I’m super-happy, I need to remember I still need to provde space for God to act.
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