Suffering

Suffering

Batter my heart, three-person'd God, for you 
As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend; 
That I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend 
Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new. 
I, like an usurp'd town to another due, 
Labor to admit you, but oh, to no end; 
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend, 
But is captiv'd, and proves weak or untrue. 
Yet dearly I love you, and would be lov'd fain, 
But am betroth'd unto your enemy; 
Divorce me, untie or break that knot again, 
Take me to you, imprison me, for I, 
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free, 
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me. —John Donne

In “Batter My Heart, Three-Personed God,” John Donne begs God to capture his heart and save him from a relationship with Satan. According the poet, the primary means by which this happens is to employ God to violently “batter, [his] heart; to break, blow, and burn“ to make [him] new, to free [him] from his enemy.” Accordingly authentic spiritual transformation necessitates suffering. Contrastingly, the post-modern Christian averts suffering at all costs. To suffer, to be broken is not listed on many bucket lists; suffering is not included in many retirement plans.


During a recent social gathering, a few of my friends and I discussed the times when our faith had grown the most. Overwhelmingly, the answer was during those times of suffering. Subsequently, we should not be surprised when we encounter “fiery ordeals” because to the degree [we] share in the sufferings of Christ, Christ is revealed in order that we may rejoice in exultation.” (I Peter 4:12 Grundmeier paraphrase). In order for us to stand, we must be overthrown; to be made new, we must be bent, broken, and burned. I don't necessarily want to suffer, but neither did Jesus. 

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