Genesis 3:17-19
“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return”.
Genesis 4: 2-8
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favour on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favour. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. “Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast. If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it”. Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
Reflection
It’s fair to say that we are neither biologically nor behaviourally as God intended us to be. The Fall from grace was swift and precipitous as the two readings illustrate. Human suffering arises because our bodies are mortal and fail. Suffering is also experienced by millions each day through humanity’s continuing failure to follow Christ teaching as we fail to love our neighbour as we love ourself: war, genocide, murder, famine, loneliness, exploitation, climate crisis all arise from an absence of love for our neighbour.
Individuals suffer both physically and emotionally as our bodies fail. Medical advances together with the unequal distribution of wealth now allows the privileged few to continue to live into old age relatively pain free and comfortable. Whether a disease, injury or medical condition is terminal, life-threatening or life limiting will depend on where in the world you live, and how wealthy you are. But wherever we live and regardless of your wealth, as our bodies fail we suffer. As Christians, we do not suffer alone, nor is our suffering unnoticed. Christ shares our pain, anguish, sorrow and in doing so speaks to us and gives us direction and hope.
Prayer
O Jesus,
please be in the hearts and lives of all who suffer.
Bring healing to those enduring pain.
Bring value to those who are disregarded.
Bring joy to those in great sorrow.
Bring hope to those that have nothing to live for.
Bring provision to those who hunger.
Bring shelter to the homeless.
Bring community to the lonely.
Please use and prompt me to be your hands of love across a suffering world.
Amen