I'm currently reading Sex God by Rob Bell. I'm really enjoying it, though his writing style sometimes seems disjointed to me (though I think that's one of those "the-things-that-bother-you-about-other-people-are-the-problems-within-yourself" things). Anyway, today's quote comes from him: (p. 106-108).
"Our tendency in the midst of suffering is to turn on God. To get angry and bitter and shake our fist at the sky and say, 'God, you don't know what it's like! You don't understand! You have no idea what I'm going through. You don't have a clue how much this hurts.' The cross is God's way of taking away all of our accusations, excuses, and arguments. the cross is God taking on flesh and blood and saying, 'Me too.' The cross is where we present our wounds to God and say, 'here, you take them.' Our healing begins when we participate in the suffering of God. When we don't avoid it but enter into it, and in the process enter into the life of God. When we see our pain not as separating us from but connecting us to our maker. And in this connection, there's always the chance we'll find a reason to risk again. If God can continue to risk, then maybe we can too. Perhaps you have had your heart broken by somebody. You risked and extended and offered yourself, and they rejected and turned away and didn't return your love. There is something divine in your suffering. Somebody divine in your pain. You know how God feels. Really good, loving people get hurt. It's how things are. The danger is that you will decide it isn't worth it. Why risk if it's going to hurt like this? The tragedy would be for you to shut down, to allow a wall to be built around your heart, and for something within you to die. A decision not to risk again is a decision not to love again. They go together."
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