“Suffering naturally gives rise to doubt. How can one believe in God in the face of such horrendous suffering as slavery, segregation, and the lynching tree? Under these circumstances, doubt is not a denial but an integral part of faith. It keeps faith from being sure of itself. But doubt does not have the final word. The final word is faith giving rise to hope.”
― James H. Cone, The Cross and the Lynching Tree

We begin Lent with an examination of human suffering, both the suffering we cause and the suffering we experience. As Christians, we name this suffering as sin. And yet it is so intertwined in our experience of the human condition. Theologian James Cone emphasized God’s solidarity with the suffering of humankind. In Jesus’s crucifixion, we see the depth of God’s solidarity with the poor and oppressed. In His resurrection, we are reminded that God has the final word: hope. God brings victory from defeat, life from death, and hope from despair.

I believe Parkview embodies the kind of faith James Cone describes. We engage the challenge of suffering in our time: the exploitation and incarceration of immigrants, racism and police violence, mental health crises, climate catastrophe, and so on. We show our truest humanity when we weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). We experience doubt; we encourage one another in faith, hope, and love. We do not deny the existence of suffering. In fact, it is in our current mission identified on our website states that we are “committed to [our] faith in God through Jesus Christ and to the service of God and suffering humankind”.

Dear Heavenly Parent, break our heart for what breaks Yours. Draw our attention to the suffering of our neighbors nearby and far away. Give us faith in the face of grave injustice. Empower us to work for Your justice to reign throughout the earth. In the name of Your Son Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.