The God Squad: The difference between pain and suffering

Rabbi Marc Gellman, Tribune Content Agency on Nov 30, 2023

This teaching of acceptance is a major pillar of Eastern religious thought, as well. The goal of Buddhism is overcoming suffering called dukkah. Lao Tzu, the 6 th-century Chinese philosopher who founded Taoism wrote:

Be content with what you have

Rejoice in the way things are

When you realize there is nothing lacking

The whole world belongs to you

Another spiritual element in the teaching of how to choose to avoid suffering is fearlessness. The most frequent passage in the entire Bible is “Be not afraid.” (Heb: lo irah). It is the most famous promise in the most famous psalm, Psalm 23, “Yea, though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for Thou art with me.”

The source of courage is the belief that we face the travails of life with a loving God accompanying us on our journey. The religious life does not guarantee us lives free of pain but it does guarantee us lives free of suffering if we will just trust in God’s saving power.

Spiritual fearlessness is not a remote achievement. The power to choose not to suffer is within each and every one of us.

I once saw a street artist who called herself Dawn of Santa Fe selling decorated paint can lids near the ocean in California. She was ragged but smiling and for some reason when I approached her she held up a paint can lid with this message on it,

“When you have come to the edge of all the light you know; and are about to step off the cliff into the unknown; faith is knowing one of two things will happen, there will be something solid to stand on...or...you will be taught how to fly!”

Amen

(Send ALL QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS to The God Squad via email at godsquadquestion@aol.com. Rabbi Gellman is the author of several books, including “Religion for Dummies,” co-written with Fr. Tom Hartman. Also, the new God Squad podcast is now available.)