I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.
– JRR Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring –
How often does our mind ache for things to be otherwise? When confronted with discomfort, we naturally imagine how reality could have played out differently. We look to history, others’ situations, and our own past and conjure images of better scenarios than what has befallen us. Oftentimes, our frustration quickly gives way to regret, envy, or resentment: why should I suffer while others prosper?
Victor E. Frankl noted in his autobiography, Man’s Search for Meaning, that, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” Frankl, who endured the harsh suffering of a Nazi Concentration Camp, was forced into such thoughts after being confronted with a resounding lack of control over the events of his life. Understanding that we ourselves cannot change our circumstances, but retain the ability to control our outlook allowed Frankl to outlast his time under Nazi persecution.
While I, in my position of relative safety and access to healthcare, am nowhere near the suffering that Frankl experienced while in the Concentration Camp, his advice rings soundly within my thoughts surrounding the current global situation. The very physical suffering being experienced by the sick and those treating them, the anguish of those shut-in or in vulnerable positions, and the quiet disturbances being experienced by millions all push us to cry, “but why us?”
A short history lesson would teach us how much better we’ve had it than those who have come before us, but the point can be drawn out further than that. Christianity radically reshapes the question of “how can I remove suffering” to “how can I suffer better?” The message of Jesus, that there exists an enoblement in suffering, allows for the human person to effectively better itself when confronted with stress-inducing situations.
Paul understood of this and spoke about it well to the Corinthians, proclaiming –
“power is made perfect in weakness. I will rather boast most gladly of my weakness, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints for the sake of Christ” (2 Cor. 12:9-10).
In this, our suffering is given meaning and our wish to be elsewhere is mitigated. God is nowhere nearer or farther from our present state and time, thus the “now” is our best opportunity at interacting with the Divine. And if, like Paul explains, the “now” seems troublesome, then perhaps we are even more apt to encounter that which we seek.
What does this mean for us? To tuck in our chins, throw our hands up in defense, and brace for the impact of the times? I think quite the opposite. Stick your chest out, exposing yourself. Lower your defenses and relax your posture. Grieve with those who grieve and celebrate the victories, big and small that are occurring outside your window each day. Continue to pray for those suffering great physical and economic pains and be thankful for the areas in life in which you are blessed.
And when things get overwhelming, focus on that which you can control. Extract more from your days. Have more (virtual) conversations. Read more books. Go for a run. Think. Pray. You (at least at present) cannot affect the world’s systems at large, but you can make the situation much worse for yourself and others if you spend your time wishing it away instead of embracing the difficulties inherent in it.
The choice is yours. Will you take the ring?
Catholicism Rekindled 