Is there potential for suffering to be good?

Ok.

It's 5:00 in the morning. My nose is shut tight, dripping with mucus, and I'm breathing through my mouth. All because I mowed the lawn today for my mother.



And you know what? I'm glad I did. Even though I'm sitting here, suffering from my allergies to pollen and grass, I think I did a good thing. I loved my mother (for once).

One of the best ways to test whether you love someone or not is whether you are willing to suffer for them or not. And when I mean "suffer for them", I don't mean "I'm going to suffer watching a movie I don't like for them". (Well, unless you're watching the Twilight series for them. That's almost worse than crucifixion.) I mean, are you willing to die a little for them. You're willing to give up your comfort and potentially put yourself through physical and mental anguish so that they might ultimately be happy. That is love.

Of course, that's not usually the kind of suffering people complain about. People usually say that the suffering of "the poor in Africa" or "the homeless in America" or "mentally retarded children" is evil. They don't claim suffering to be inherently evil (at least not vocally). But they don't see how that kind of suffering can bring any good.

I don't know about you - or me, for that matter - but for those who actually do go to Africa, to the homeless, and to the mentally, physically, and genetically challenged, I can't help but imagine they were glad they met, helped, and loved these children, these homeless, these hungry, sick, and poor. It made them - the doctors, the soup kitchen staff, the well diggers, the missionaries, and all the rest - better people than they were before. Because they gave up their time, talent, and treasure to relieve their suffering. They loved these people.

I would say the greatest problem in America and Europe today isn't obesity. It isn't abortion or contraception. It isn't the Westboro Baptist Church or feminazis or gay marriage. And as bad as they suck, it's not either of the presidential candidates.

It's that we aren't willing to love anymore. We in the first world have become staunch hedonists - we live and die for our own pleasure, and God forbid anything gets in the way of it.

I would venture to say our unwillingness to love is at least one reason contraception and abortion are multimillion-dollar industries. A reason divorce is rampant. A reason people become atheists, on a practical level or an explicit level. It's one reason (among many) why megachurches and feel-good Protestant churches are full while Jesus - in flesh and blood, I might add - is abandoned at His altar by many Catholics.

We've forgotten why Jesus was crucified. Hell, some of us have forgotten He even did that. Look, I don't care how good of a teacher you think Christ was. Even if the Resurrection never happened, the greatest lesson you can learn from Jesus is to die for others, because that is exactly what He did on the cross. He died, believing His death would save every man, woman, and child in the world from everlasting death who embraced Him, His teaching, and His suffering.

So instead of fighting to wipe the third world out of existence with condoms, or the poor or blacks out with abortion mills, or generally to prevent suffering by destroying people who might suffer - because literally everyone suffers - put your time into suffering for the sake of others. Take some of your precious time out to help those who are suffering instead of trying to contracept it out of existence. Go to a soup kitchen, and make some friends with the poor. Reach out to crippled children by playing with them and befriending them. If you're ambitious, go and give your life to helping Africans to improve their economy and their political stability.

Don't shrink from their suffering. Don't try to end it. Try to make their suffering meaningful for you, and for them.

Whaddya think?