Scripture ~ “But it’s trouble ahead if you think you have it made. What you have is all you’ll ever get. And it’s trouble ahead if you’re satisfied with yourself. Your self will not satisfy you for long. And it’s trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun and games. There’s suffering to be met, and you’re going to meet it. “There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them.” Luke 6:24-25a Sermon on the Plain
Spiritual Focus ~ “God wants to bring joy not pain, peace not war, healing not suffering. Therefore, instead of declaring anything and everything be the will of God, we must be willing to ask ourselves where in the midst of our pains and suffering we can discern the loving presence of God.” Henri J.M. Nouwen*, Dutch-born Catholic priest, professor, psychologist, and prolific writer
Breath Prayer ~ Inhale ~ One Path, Exhale ~ Love
Devotion ~ Suffering is not something any of us want to experience or even talk about, and yet, some of the greatest stories of love include suffering. Henri Nouwen, in his book The Wounded Healer, looked at suffering and healing from a different perspective. He found that to help others, one must explore one’s own woundedness. He believed that by going to the pain rather than avoiding it, we could move through the pain to a place of joy, peace, and healing. Nouwen was convinced we did not do this alone but in community and by experiencing the loving presence of God. He also believed this was a lifelong journey.
One of the benefits of asana, or yoga postures, is that it prepares the body to sit in meditation. In meditation we create the space and stillness to observe our thoughts and decide what to believe. Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön* famously said, “Don’t believe everything you think.” This quote has helped people work through their suffering in cognitive behavioral therapy and trauma-informed yoga. Patanjali, an ancient Indian sage and author of the yoga sutras, taught the tools to manage our suffering are already within us. Henri Nouwen would concur—with the added caveat that it is the presence of God, the Holy Breath within us, that guides our journey toward healing.
These wisdom teachers offer guidance for healing our suffering: Go inward to connect with the Holy Breath. Watch your thoughts, but don’t believe everything you think. Don’t try to go it alone; find a caring community to journey with you. Jesus does not proclaim an easy journey for his followers in his Sermon on the Plain, but he does promise God’s presence for the journey.
