Don't Shoot the Wounded

Last week, I had lunch with my dad. He told me he’d been chosen to lead a Bible Study on suffering (specifically, coming alongside people who are suffering) and forgiveness and he had no idea how he was going to go about it. For one, there are people in the study who have lost someone they love to a violent crime and forgiveness has been difficult for one of them, rightfully so. My dad said he wants to dig deep and tell the truth without being too generic but he says there a couple things that make this even more challenging: he’s never really experienced suffering or been put in a position where he has to forgive someone for something horrible.

He then relayed to me that he feels Christians often shoot their wounded. He’s seen people shunned for divorce and even my own mother experienced a shunning when she left a church about five years ago. She’d been there for years and even worked there for most of that time... but out of all the people she knew there, only five or so had anything to do with her after she left. It was a horribly painful time for her. In short, he doesn’t see many Christians coming alongside those who are suffering in order to comfort or help them.

So, I tried to give my dad some help on the topic telling him that Christ was the ultimate example of suffering and forgiveness. We talked about that for a few minutes but I didn’t have much to offer beyond that. My own suffering in life has never been anything of great degree. I have experienced the beauty and growth that comes with forgiveness... but that’s for another post.

That very night, on the day I had lunch with my dad, we spoke in RCIA about the Paschal Mystery: Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection. What timing!

Nothing said really stood out to me until the end, when we were all praying.

At that time, it occurred to me, that while Christ was carrying his cross to be crucified, Simon of Cyrene came alongside him:

Matthew. 27:32
As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.

Even God the Father knew that Christ in his humanity needed someone to walk with Him. Could Christ have done it alone? Sure! But I believe this serves as an example that even those who appear strong, need comfort and aid when they suffer. Could Simon offer much to Jesus? No... but he was there. Perhaps not even by choice... but there, nonetheless. I imagine that Simon went away a different man that day.

How then, should we treat those around us who are suffering? Do we often shoot our wounded? Or do we come alongside them, showing them the love of Christ?

Another thought came to mind as well. Christ gave us the ultimate example of suffering and forgiveness. He suffered for all of us. Every single sin we have ever or will ever commit, was placed on Him at that moment, including the sins against Him. Did he lash out? Did he pull Himself off the cross and say, “forget it, I just won’t do it”? No. He endured it all and forgave us.

In our own lives, do we strive to forgive those who have sinned against us?

When the price was paid, when the suffering was over and our sins were pardoned by his shed blood, he showed us His healing power by the Resurrection!

On the other end of our suffering, if we truly seek forgiveness, should we not also experience a bit of a resurrection of healing in our lives? Absolutely! God can heal us of our suffering, show us how to forgive and bring us to healing resurrection if we put our trust in Him.

Is there someone you need to forgive today? Is there someone you know who is suffering that you should comfort? Let’s not shoot our wounded, but instead, be like Simon of Cyrene... and remember that God shares in our suffering and will bring us to the other side, where we can find healing.

2 Corinthians 4:4-10
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.