There are so many experiences and disappointments that drive sensitive people toward nihilism and resignation. That is why it is good to learn early that suffering and God are not contradictions, but rather a necessary unity. For me, the idea that it is really God who suffers has always been one of the most persuasive teachings of Christianity. I believe that God is closer to suffering than to happiness, and that finding God in this way brings peace and repose and a strong, courageous heart. ―Dietrich Bonhoeffer
God is Love–both Khesed (i.e., fidelity, faithfulness, lovingkindness–as exemplified superlatively by Ruth, for example; the covenantal, steadfast Love of God–) and Agape (i.e, selfless and self-sacrificial Love; the Love of Messiah’s Cross; Love without discrimination–as with Khesed, intended here as signifying a transcendent, supernatural Love)–and that which runs counter to Love evinces itself from the early chapters of the book of Genesis.
What is perhaps most striking about chs. 2-3 is the depiction of Elohim as being vulnerable–i.e., of God’s allowing for His heart to be wounded, and even devastated, by the very ones He brought forth into being, in Love. It can be inferred, according to these and very many such passages throughout the Bible, that Adonai is not a ‘controlling God’.
El Elyon, it seems, feels things most deeply–He is ‘God of Pathos’–both Kierkegaard and Bonhoeffer observed that He is God-Who-Truly-Suffers. Correspondingly–for why would He suffer as such, if all things plainly and inescapably are fixedly predetermined–it is needful to underscore: Elohim is not ‘micromanaging’ our, or humanity’s, affairs..
For example, He explicitly states and reiterates as much in Jer. 7:31, Jer. 19:5, and Jer. 32:35–to clarify, it would seem, that human atrocities cannot and should not be ‘traced back’ to Him; and yet, this is precisely what much of what Kierkegaard termed ‘Christendom’ [i.e., the politicized/chauvinistic/self-interested ‘Christian world’; which, if we are to be truthful, exists principally for the enriching/aggrandizement of its gatekeepers..] routinely appears to be saying; thus, the emphasis ought to be upon Love and not what passes for ‘knowledge’ [more on this below]; for ‘Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies’–1 Cor. 8:1.
That is, He yearns for us to love Him freely and truly, not by coercion–is what Scripture ultimately conveys. Marriage–which is how much of the Bible characterizes the believer’s relationship with God–obviously would involve one’s choice, and decisive commitment–if it is indeed true love; that freewill decision, and the actuality of one’s unfeignedly loving–unmistakably, are matters of utmost importance to Elohim (too).
We express our unfeigned love and authentic devotion for Rabbouni best via dedicated, unswerving, prayerful, self-forgetting and effective service to ‘the least of His brothers and sisters’ (e.g., Matt. 25:31-46; Amos 5:21-24); ‘the only thing that counts is faith working through love.’ (Gal. 5:6)
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Cain and Abel are highlighted as the first begotten of humans. Astonishingly, it is enviousness stemming from a sort of ‘religious dispute’ that results in the initial biblical murder. How sad and how strange it is that history continuously appears to repeat itself, and that not much has (in this respect) fundamentally changed.
None of Abel’s words are passed down to us; he leaves no children. Perhaps Abel submitted non-violently to his elder brother who was jealous of him; perhaps Abel, even in those final moments, even pitied Cain, for whom he retained a fraternal affection; it could be that Abel still truly loved Cain, his brother, to the end..
As Messiah would Himself do for us all, one day, interceding: ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’ (Luke 23:34).
Despite his tragic and unjust experience (the Bible declares, and it can, again, be deduced:)–Abel, still, is considered to be the one that was, indeed, veritably blessed.
That is to say, Abel’s reward is not of this world.
The Gospels relate to us that all people are in reality still alive–cases remain unsettled, are to be revisited–within, and to Him (Luke 20:38; Mark 12:27; Matt. 22:32). Many an interpreter have concluded that Abel’s life tells us of Messiah..
A prayer:
O God, we truly need You now. Please wipe away all tears, hold our hands, O truly. Marana Tha, O God. Do not forsake us–reveal Thyself to be Love, at this very moment–and even: as never before–reveal Thyself to all peoples, everywhere, to be Love. In Yeshua’s Holy Name. O God–do revisit Korea’s case; we plead, here and now, for Divine Mercy–
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I once sought to learn as much as possible concerning Holocaust Theology, and the manifold post-Holocaust approaches to God and His role in this world–in a wholehearted search for answers, a possible pathway towards comprehension vis-à-vis what has happened in relation to Korea.
Korea was partitioned subsequent to the Second World War (only a day after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki); catastrophically for so many, the severance of the Korean peninsula has persisted to this very day; millions of families are understood to have been permanently divided by what has been reported to have been (in much of the anglophone historiography) a mere ‘thoughtless’, arbitrary decision.
No Koreans (not a single individual) were informed or had any role vis-à-vis the division; it was presented to the people of Korea as a fait accompli.
Have not been able to forget footage I happened upon at a certain juncture–even the memory of it moves one to tears– (I could never bring myself to seek for it again… for one can only endure so much–)…
The video was of a Korean man–probably in his 80s, or even in his 90s–at one of the all too rare family reunion events held by the North-South governments.
It is estimated that far less than 1% of the families divided by the 1945 partition–which hastily eventuated into the most heavily militarized border area on earth, subsequent to the awful, cataclysmic 1950-53 war–have had a chance to see each other again in this way. The man was ostensibly among the ‘lucky ones’.
When the fleeting reunion–a matter of hours and moments together; intrusively supervised/televised; after a veritable lifetime apart–was decreed to be over (by the conveners), the Korean participants–again, many in their 80s or 90s–were bussed off to their respective designated zones; i.e., to be separated once more, and, rather obviously, against one’s will.
Reportedly, for all, this was to be their final communication–subsequent to a half-century, or longer, apart–owing to the prevailing political situation between North-South; and, yes, the geopolitical realities and interests of countries beyond Korea proper, as well.
The video was of a man–it was not immediately clear whether he was from the northern or the southern zone–running–apparently with all of his strength and being, in tears, and with arms held out to his beloved relatives who were waving out of the window–after the bus that was transporting his surviving relatives from ‘the other side’, away–the dearly and ineffably cherished ones which he would not be permitted to speak with, or see, ever again–
A prayer:
May God have mercy and show Khesed, Agape to that man, and all of his beloved ones, we ask in Yeshua’s Holy Name. On this 80th anniversary of Korea’s division. What was it all for, God? Answer our tears, answer our afflictions–reveal Thyself at-last, truly to be Love. ‘Hosanna’ to Thee, we cry–please save us now, O Adonai Abba Avinu. In Yeshua’s Holy Name.
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This is why one turns in earnest to, for example, Holocaust Theology–for assistance. In an anthology of a diverse set of theological responses to the Holocaust, all of which were tremendously challenging and moving, there were two that, in particular, ‘made the most sense’ to me personally (i.e., these two theological approaches to the problems of mass atrocity/world-historical trauma seemed to have corresponded most closely to Yeshua’s own recorded teachings, and words); in summary:
1) That there is a metaphysical battle between good and evil which human beings cannot really comprehend (e.g., Matt. 12:25-29, 25:41; Mark 3:22-27; Luke 11:15-22).
NB: Separately, but related, Lev Shestov underscored in his later works that humanity must decisively and finally renounce the ‘tree of the knowledge of good and evil’–which is a mere conceit, a delusion–and opt, instead, for a pure and unmitigated faith in God–i.e., the faith of a child (e.g., Matt. 18:1-5; Mark 9:23, 10:14-15, 10:27; Luke 9:48); the sort of rare and unheard-of faith that believes, even for the impossible..
Such a singular and ‘radical’ faith is to become our very ‘ground of being’; the hallowed place from which all action, and vision, and decision springs forth…
That could even mean: believing against the testimony and record of history (which can be manipulated, blurred by propaganda), and current political/military realities, which reiterate to us that there is ‘no hope for altering a cruel status quo’–that the impossible would somehow (necessarily) become possible at some blessed juncture (even now)–because that is seemingly what Love would require, and necessarily involve.. For how can Love leave all of this world-historical devastation–and its accompanying existential horror–unresolved–indefinitely?
For all live unto Him–still–still (Luke 20:38; Mark 12:27; Matt. 22:32).
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There’s seemingly no moving on from such things, at least within this life. The writer of Ecclesiastes pronounced, several millennia ago, that it would have been better never to have even existed–than to have been witness of the evils and injustices of this present world (4:1-3).
Gratefully, as a kind of needful counterpoint to that assertion–although Eccl. 4:1-3 resonates deeply with many of us, myself included–the Gospel is proclaimed as having given priority for ‘the poor’, for ‘the prisoners’, for ‘the broken-hearted’, for those suffering unspeakable loss, those who are in mourning (e.g., Isa. 61:1-3; Luke 4:18), for ‘the least’ and ‘last’ of the earth–and, God knows, there were truly many millions of individuals within Korea, who died–so many under singularly barbarous and literally terrifying circumstances–so many without even having had that fleeting chance at reunion, touched on above–unable, in the overwhelming majority of cases, even to confirm the living-or-dead status of closest family..
A prayer:
And so we await and so we plead for Thy truly and wondrously good news, O Adonai Elohim; Show to us now Thy Glory: heal the broken-hearted, everywhere–O truly! Decree liberty for the captives, everywhere–O truly! Comfort those who mourn, everywhere–O, truly! Gift to us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness… For, for Thee, all things are indeed possible–and we have learned to believe Thee for the impossible, because we must–in Yeshua’s Holy Name.
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2) That there will be another time, and another place (e.g., Isa. 25:6-8; Matt. 5:3-12; Luke 6:20-23).
In other words, that this life/world is not-at-all, ‘all there is’. That in the Olam Haba (the world to come)–somehow, things will be soothed, healed, even ‘abundantly redeemed’ (Ps. 130:7); unbelievable and impossible as it may seem and sound.
A prayer:
O Adonai Eloheynu, Melekh-ha’olam; speed the day when wars shall be no more, in Yeshua’s Holy Name–O truly. When Thy Kingdom will come, Thy will will be done, on earth as it is in heaven–O truly, in Yeshua’s Holy Name. O, for Thy tender mercies’ sake, O Rabbouni; Marana Tha–reveal Thyself to all this generation, and to all peoples, truly indeed to be Love. We ask for a very substantial revelation of Your goodness and lovingkindness and compassion to the least of Matthew 25:31-46, in every region of earth–right now; right now, continuously and always. Arise to their defense at this very momentand time, O Adonai. We ask, somehow, to do our parts well and thoroughly, accordingly. All of these most solemn petitions in the most blessed and sacred Name of Yeshua Ha-Mashiach Ha-Notzri–amen, amen.
Is it true that human beings are fundamentally cruel? Is the experience of cruelty the only thing we share as a species? Is the dignity that we cling to nothing but self-delusion, masking from ourselves the single truth: that each one of us is capable of being reduced to an insect, a ravening beast, a lump of meat? To be degraded, slaughtered – is this the essential of humankind, one which history has confirmed as inevitable? ―Han Kang
[T]o be unfortunate in this world […] is a sign of God’s nearness. So, it was originally; this is the gospel in the New Testament. ―Søren Kierkegaard
