Why Suffering?

People often ask me how I pick my topics for the Interfaith Events. There is no one set way that I determine the topics. The topic of suffering has been brewing in me for awhile. Over a year ago a friend of mine lost her recent husband to cancer. My friend and her young child were left behind to carry on this life. A life which she was hoping to build with the love of her life. I did not reconnect with my friend until several months after the death of her husband. When we spent time together she had determined that she did not believe in a God who would allow this sort of suffering. She also could not come to terms with how Christians had prayed during her husband's suffering. I am a follower of Jesus so my friend's words challenged me in my own views of suffering and how people of faith communicate their beliefs about suffering. Then over the past year our school community has had unexpected deaths, accidents and illnesses. A community often experiences sadness but what we were experiencing was heartbreaking. The topic of Why We Must Suffer? comes out of my own experience in my own community.

Once I had chosen the topic I knew who spoke at the Interfaith Event was crucial. In my experience, I am not interested in listening  to someone talk about 'suffering' if he/she has not experienced suffering. This is one of those topics where life experience gives a person the right to be heard. Each of the speakers for this Interfaith Event: Why Must I Suffer? have walked through their own fires. For some of them it has been heartbreaking personal tragedy and for others they see suffering daily in their professional life. It is their depth of understanding of suffering that will make this event especially an enlightening evening. Each speaker will be addressing how their suffering has been formed by their faith.

At the end of the evening hopefully we will have learned about the faith communities in Fort Wayne through the lens of suffering.  As the topic of suffering is discussed, hopefully we will also see more deeply that there is hope even in our suffering.