Hope Amidst Suffering
This year, we're collaborating with writers across the Augustine Collective, a network of student-led Christian journals, to bring you a series of short devotional articles during this season of Lent, the 40-day period prior to Easter. Find this series also published by UChicago's CANA Journal and UC Berkeley's TAUG.
By kelcie lee, uc berkeley
I was talking to a friend recently about a conversation she had with a non-believing friend. She’d been sharing about schoolwork that was stressing her out when her friend snapped, “I don’t know, why don’t you go pray about it?” The instant hurt and anger began brewing inside me just hearing about what happened. I sat with those words, imagining how I might react if that had happened to me. Later that night, it brought me to tears as it lingered in my mind for the rest of the day.
Although I remember learning that we must endure persecution as believers, I never knew what that could look like for me in my everyday life. Throughout the Bible, believers experienced suffering beyond comparison: they were jailed, stoned, and put to death. These believers—and even Jesus himself—were persecuted for sharing the very Gospel we believe and share to this day. Reading the Epistle from today’s lectionary came at a perfect time, as God reminds us: “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” [1]
In the same way that people disbelieve us and mock us, Jesus’ death and promise to rise again in three days was met with the same reaction. The Pharisees refused to believe the truth, requesting that His tomb be sealed to “be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” [2] Terrified and in denial of the promise of Jesus’ resurrection, the tomb was sealed, and guards were posted in front to keep it secure.
Knowing what we know now, it feels silly that anyone thought they’d be able to prevent the resurrection of the Son of God. Their minds were filled with unbelief and their actions proved their intentions—failing to understand that no rock, seal, guard, or army for that matter could prevent Christ from rising again.
Times of persecution, disbelief, and mockery from others can also bring hardship, making it difficult to remain steadfast in Christ.
In this case, we can look at Jeremiah’s poem as an example: “He drove into my kidneys the arrows of his quiver; I have become the laughingstock of all peoples, the objects of their taunts all day long. He has filled me with bitterness; he has sated me with wormwood.” [3] Jeremiah’s poem continues in this manner for 20 verses, making his despair and grievances entirely evident. Yet in the time of suffering, he still saw a single ray of hope in God’s love and deliverance. “His mercies…are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’” [4]
Upon reading this, I was shocked to see the complete 180° turnaround Jeremiah has and the simplicity in his hope, when in reality, that is a perfect representation of God’s goodness amidst our grievances. In times of hurt, He is our healing. In times of rejection, He is our affection. In times of hopelessness, He is our hope.
With Easter around the corner, we know that the truth, freedom, and perfect redemption is near. In looking toward the future, we can remain steadfast in remembering that, “you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me.” [5] Through the suffering and disbelief, we know that we can have hope in a God who delivers a tomorrow and the tomorrow.
Kelcie Lee is a second-year at UC Berkeley studying History and Sociology.
SOURCES
[1] 1 Peter 4:1
[2] Matthew 27:64
[3] Lamentations 3:13-15
[4] Lamentations 3:23-24
[5] Psalm 31:3