Title:  Suffering

Francois Sieberhagen

God said to us humans, “To be wise, you must have reverence for the Lord.

To understand, you must turn from evil.” Job 28:28

To use a camera to take photographs is much different from someone painting a scene.  The hard reality as it is in front of you can be captured.  Sure, you can manipulate the photo.  You can make the colours brighter or dim it if you like.  You can make reality a bit prettier.  But in the end it is still reality.

Some time ago Pauline Musengwayire sat with me.  She told me her life story.  It was moving and extremely sad.  Her husband and children were killed during the genocide of 1994 in Rwanda.  She was raped.  Today she is HIV positive and she is struggling to make a living.

The picture taken of her was that of a well groomed woman in the prime of her life.  But her eyes are tired.  She is tired of struggling to stay alive.  This tired woman came forth with a great religious truth.  She told me about what carries her through het trials and tribulations and it was all about her searching for the will of God in her life.  It was not only words, but a truth she lived.

Today I remember that encounter.  Many of us take our daily meeting with God for granted.  We often neglect this time because we are so busy.

The Bible gives us very clear guidelines about what dedication to God means and how it is supposed to be carried out.  At the same time there are very clear guidelines on how to avoid evil.  Jesus Christ set the example.  He was the perfect example of love peace and care.  Still he reprimanded and corrected the wrongs.

The truth is that we live in a world in search of answers, a world searching for indicators to live meaningful lives.  Let us live in a way as to let our lives be the indicators toward God.  Let our lives be the example of wisdom and insight.

Prayer: Lord, help me to reach out to other who is not as privileged as I am. Amen.