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God has addressed suffering…The Word became flesh.
Monday, February 9, 2015 13:17
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God has addressed suffering…The Word became flesh.
The Oscar Wilde short story, “The Selfish Giant” tells the story of a selfish giant who built a wall around his beautiful garden to keep children out. It was always winter in the garden, for no other season would venture there. Then one morning, a special child brought spring back, and the giant's heart melted along with the snow. The child returned to the garden years later, when the giant had grown very old and feeble, and the story concludes
“One winter morning he looked out of his window as he was dressing. He did not hate the Winter now, for he knew that it was merely the Spring asleep, and that the flowers were resting.
Suddenly he rubbed his eyes in wonder, and looked and looked. It certainly was a marvelous sight. In the farthest corner of the garden was a tree quite covered with lovely white blossoms. Its branches were all golden, and silver fruit hung down from them, and underneath it stood the little boy he had loved.
Downstairs ran the Giant in great joy, and out into the garden. He hastened across the grass, and came near to the child. And when he came quite close his face grew red with anger, and he said, 'Who hath dared to wound thee?' For on the palms of the child's hands were the prints of two nails, and the prints of two nails were on the little feet.
'Who hath dared to wound thee?' cried the Giant; 'tell me, that I may take my big sword and slay him.'
'Nay!' answered the child; 'but these are the wounds of Love.'
'Who art thou?' said the Giant, and a strange awe fell on him, and he knelt before the little child.
And the child smiled on the Giant, and said to him, 'You let me play once in your garden, to-day you shall come with me to my garden, which is Paradise.'
And when the children ran in that afternoon, they found the Giant lying dead under the tree, all covered with white blossoms.”
The interpretation of the story can be seen in the context of the Christian faith. The special boy who brought back spring to a garden, that had experienced perpetual winter, because of the selfishness of the giant, and who returns at the end of the life of the giant to take him to paradise, is Jesus. It explores the themes of faith, hope, grace, resurrection, love and does so in a very simple and engaging way. The love of God is such that it enters the sphere of living and transforms. The nature of God’s love is a revelation of the transforming goodness of God, far from being mean or evil, God is goodness; one who enters the depths of human wondering, of human suffering, and brings that suffering an answer. That answer is the Son, Jesus, who takes our sins upon himself, and dies on the cross to open the gates of life, to allow a return to the garden where humanity was created for.
Why does God allow suffering? He does not! For he has sent his Son, who has walked the physical reality of the earth, experiencing, life and death. In Jesus Christ, God has redeemed suffering, transforming death into life. Love touched humanity, and brought hope, brought a release from sin and death. And in this we see God not as mean, evil or controlling, but as Father, unconditionally loving us, and constantly bringing us back to the open arms of his love.
God has addressed suffering…The Word became flesh.
Source: http://humblepiety.blogspot.com/2015/02/god-has-addressed-sufferingthe-word.html
