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	<title>Dark Brightness &#187; despair</title>
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	<description>Bleak theology: hopeful science.</description>
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		<title>Suffering</title>
		<link>http://pukeko.net.nz/blog/2010/09/suffering/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 08 Sep 2010 06:58:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>pukeko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Theology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[despair]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[job]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lazarus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[suffering]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[I guess a more rational name would be Job and Lazarus. Job 29:1, 30:1-2, 16-31 1Job again took up his discourse and said: 1&#8220;But now they make sport of me, those who are younger than I, whose fathers I would &#8230; <a href="http://pukeko.net.nz/blog/2010/09/suffering/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://pukeko.net.nz/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Chagall_60Bible_Job_Despair.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-825" title="Chagall_60Bible_Job_Despair" src="http://pukeko.net.nz/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Chagall_60Bible_Job_Despair.jpg" alt="" width="440" height="600" /></a></p>
<p>I guess a more rational name would be Job and Lazarus.</p>
<blockquote><p>Job 29:1, 30:1-2, 16-31</p>
<div>
<p><sup>1</sup>Job again took up his           discourse and said:</p>
<p><sup>1</sup>&#8220;But now they           make sport of me, those who are younger than I, whose           fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my           flock. <sup>2</sup>What could I           gain from the strength of their hands? All their vigor is           gone.</p>
<p><sup>16</sup>&#8220;And now my soul           is poured out within me; days of affliction have taken           hold of me. <sup>17</sup>The night           racks my bones, and the pain that gnaws me takes no rest.           <sup>18</sup>With violence he           seizes my garment; he grasps me by the collar of my           tunic. <sup>19</sup>He has cast me           into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes.           <sup>20</sup>I cry to you and you           do not answer me; I stand, and you merely look at me.           <sup>21</sup>You have turned cruel           to me; with the might of your hand you persecute me.           <sup>22</sup>You lift me up on the           wind, you make me ride on it, and you toss me about in           the roar of the storm. <sup>23</sup>I know that you will bring me to           death, and to the house appointed for all living.</p>
<p><sup>24</sup>&#8220;Surely one does           not turn against the needy, when in disaster they cry for           help. <sup>25</sup>Did I not weep           for those whose day was hard? Was not my soul grieved for           the poor? <sup>26</sup>But when I           looked for good, evil came; and when I waited for light,           darkness came. <sup>27</sup>My           inward parts are in turmoil, and are never still; days of           affliction come to meet me. <sup>28</sup>I go about in sunless gloom; I           stand up in the assembly and cry for help. <sup>29</sup>I am a brother of jackals, and a           companion of ostriches. <sup>30</sup>My skin turns black and falls           from me, and my bones burn with heat. <sup>31</sup>My lyre is turned to mourning,           and my pipe to the voice of those who weep.</p>
</div>
<div><a name="second-reading"></a></div>
<div><a name="gospel"></a>John 11:1-16</p>
<div>
<p><sup>1</sup>Now a certain man was           ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her           sister Martha. <sup>2</sup>Mary           was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped           his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill.           <sup>3</sup>So the sisters sent a           message to Jesus, &#8220;Lord, he whom you love is           ill.&#8221; <sup>4</sup>But when           Jesus heard it, he said, &#8220;This illness does not lead           to death; rather it is for God&#8217;s glory, so that the           Son of God may be glorified through it.&#8221;           <sup>5</sup>Accordingly, though           Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus,           <sup>6</sup>after having heard           that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the           place where he was.</p>
<p><sup>7</sup>Then after this he           said to the disciples, &#8220;Let us go to Judea           again.&#8221;&#8216; <sup>8</sup>The           disciples said to him, &#8220;Rabbi, the Jews were just           now trying to stone you, and are you going there           again?&#8221; <sup>9</sup>Jesus           answered, &#8220;Are there not twelve hours of daylight?           Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because           they see the light of this world. <sup>10</sup>But those who walk at night           stumble, because the light is not in them.&#8221;           <sup>11</sup>After saying this, he           told them, &#8220;Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep,           but I am going there to awaken him.&#8221; <sup>12</sup>The disciples said to him,           &#8220;Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all           right.&#8221; <sup>13</sup>Jesus,           however, had been speaking about his death, but they           thought that he was referring merely to sleep.           <sup>14</sup>Then Jesus told them           plainly, &#8220;Lazarus is dead. <sup>15</sup>For your sake I am glad I was not           there, so that you may believe. But let us go to           him.&#8221; <sup>16</sup>Thomas,           who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples,           &#8220;Let us also go, that we may die with him.&#8221;</p>
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</blockquote>
<p>These passages are horrible. Job describes how he is suffering, and there is no one who will hear him. Instead he is mocked. He is now mourning for the life he had, and he cannot see any justice. The rules he lived by seem null and void. He has no reward for right living.</p>
<p>And Mary and Martha are left grieving for three days. Lazarus is dead.</p>
<p>We do not know why as of this date. In fact, Job never learns why. He learns he is limited. We are  less limited because we know the next part: Lazarus was raised. But to prove he was truly dead, he had to be in the tomb, rotting. Job allows us to see that you can be despairing, angry, arguing with God, and keep your integrity. He is described as the righteous man &#8212; and prays that the companions who spoke for God will be forgiven by him.</p>
<p>And those who reduce our faith to something that allows our requests to be fulfilled misses the idea that God is in charge. We simply do not know what is for our long term good. But we know we suffer, and we cannot disengage from this pain. We take our emotional and historical weather with us.</p>
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		<title>Psalm 22</title>
		<link>http://pukeko.net.nz/blog/2009/03/psalm-22/</link>
		<comments>http://pukeko.net.nz/blog/2009/03/psalm-22/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2009 05:55:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>pukeko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Theology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[despair]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hopeless]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pukeko.net.nz/blog/?p=164</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[No one should pretend that faith is pretty. 6 But I am a worm, and not human; scorned by others, and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake &#8230; <a href="http://pukeko.net.nz/blog/2009/03/psalm-22/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>No one should pretend that faith is pretty.</p>
<blockquote><p>6 But I am a worm, and not human;</p>
<p>scorned by others, and despised by the people.</p>
<p>7 All who see me mock at me;</p>
<p>they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;</p>
<p>8 &#8220;Commit your cause to the LORD; let him deliver -</p>
<p>let him rescue the one in whom he delights!&#8221;</p>
<p>9 Yet it was you who took me from the womb;</p>
<p>you kept me safe on my mother&#8217;s breast.</p>
<p>10 On you I was cast from my birth,</p>
<p>and since my mother bore me you have been my God.</p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p>11 Do not be far from me,</p>
<p>for trouble is near</p>
<p>and there is no one to help</p></blockquote>
<p>via <a href="http://www.pcusa.org/lectionary/">PC(USA) &#8211; Devotions</a>.</p>
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