Some years ago over a shared meal, a woman spoke of “the generosity of suffering” in response to the shared musing on whether God suffers or not.
Western theology would have it that God does not suffer because God cannot suffer (since suffering implies change) and still be God.
Can such a statement stand?
At the time, I write, I think not, for ‘God’ and ‘cannot’ do not inhabit the same realm, for
where God is . . . cannot cannot be.
For solidarity’s sake, I want to hope that God suffers, but dare I ‘wish’ suffering on God? Doesn’t that make me a monster?
Do You suffer, Lord?
O Lord, I hope not.
But perhaps my friend was right – there is a generosity in suffering – a giving of self – that giving which is necessary before suffering can be – the kind of which she speaks, in any event – the suffering which is a gift.
What am I to do with that?
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