Catalyst Track: Break Open the Sky // Day One
Stephan Bauman
This track comes from the book, Break Open the Sky; Saving Our Faith from a Culture Fear, by former World Relief President & CEO, Stephan Bauman.
Have you encountered someone who exhibited extraordinary grace during a season of intense or chronic suffering?
Encountering grace in the lives of those who suffer has changed me too — often profoundly. These experiences are wells from which I drink.
We, too, can be wells of life when we experience the crucible of suffering. Instead of resisting, blaming, or fighting—all of which are normal responses in everyday life—we can purposefully accept the experience of suffering, embracing the wisdom we can gain from it without justifying its cause or trying to neatly explain the reasons for it. When we accept suffering, trusting that we will emerge from its crucible with more grace, more humility, and more love, we live out a theology of suffering that is rare, especially in the West.
The idea that we can kiss the crucible, that we can make suffering an intimate friend, is a notion as old as our faith, but it is reserved for those willing to view suffering as an unlikely teacher, yet one dripping with wisdom.
But let’s be honest. When we suffer, poetry doesn’t help much. How do we learn to kiss the crucible?
In this 3-day track, Stephan confronts a question that all of us ask at some point – what are we supposed to believe in the midst in the suffering?
As a leader of a congregation, or of employees in an organization, you are likely faced with suffering on a regular basis - not to mention your own. And knowing how to respond is a challenge. Over the next few days, take time to think about Stephan’s thoughts in the context of not only your own life, but the lives of those you lead.
Day 1 – Embrace It
First, do your best to embrace suffering, difficult though that may be. Years ago I spent some time with a friend who tends cattle as an avocation. One day we drove out to one of his fields, where he showed me a young horse, a foal born just a few weeks before. He spoke kindly to the horse, then leaned down alongside it and gently wrapped his arms around its front and back legs in a bear-hug fashion. The colt jumped and struggled for a few moments but then finally relaxed into my friend’s arms as it began to trust him.
Pain can be like that bear hug. It’s normal to resist pain; alleviating pain is always the right thing to do. Seeking help might take the pain away. Prayer might help us overcome. But often the pain remains, doesn’t it? That’s when we must recognize that God’s love hasn’t changed—that he hasn’t changed—and that we can trust him in the midst of suffering.
REFLECT: Answer the poll below.
How do you usually respond to the suffering you experience?
A. I pretend like it isn’t happening
B. I try to alleviate it right away
C. I want to trust God with my pain, but don’t know how
D. I lean in and trust God in the midst of suffering
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