Saturday, August 23
- Scripture: Psalm 30:11 – “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.”
- Reflection: Sometimes religion or philosophers tell us that suffering is intended to hone the muscles of our capacity for resilience. As if pain is good for us. As if it’s intended as a trial or a training. As if it’s caused by a heavenly plan to grow our whole-human identity. As if it has purpose.
We can debate the purpose of suffering another time. Today we acknowledge that human experience encompasses times and experiences that challenge, daunt, hurt, or harm. We will all experience pain, suffering, sorrow, loss, and death in our times. They are as much part of the mortal experience as other human passages such as birth and maturation as life moments like marriage, graduation, making a home, or having a child. Humans experience threshold moments, both positive and negative ones, that change us. Such events alter our perspectives. We learn from all of life’s experience, both the tender and the terrible.
Even in times of sorrow or conflict, people find humor, gratitude, kindness and beauty. Comedians, for instance, often create their materials from the hardest, most contrary parts of their lives. In the Atlantic, journalist Megan Garber observes, “People look to … jokers not just to make fun of the world, but to make sense of it. And maybe even to help fix it.” Such performers are often called modern prophets, shining light on uncomfortable truths with keen and raw observations. They name our pain and our failings. They show us parts of society we might not notice or understand. They hold up mirrors to us, and show us our humanity. Make us laugh and cry at once. And perhaps understand ourselves and others a little better. Other performance artists, such as writers, musicians and actors, also show us truths such as these.
Suffering can be accompanied by positive experiences. Bitterness and sweetness complement each other. They are intertwined, and occur in close proximity. Sometimes, the worst experiences can also become moving and meaningful experiences, even they remain painful. - Spiritual Practice Prompt: What creative and artistic resources — cartoons or comedy shows or songs or theater or movies or television series or books — help you look at parts of life in a different way? Have you ever had life-altering experiences that made your especially aware about the preciousness of life? Of appreciating each day? If you’re struggling now, can you reframe the situation so that you can name something about which to be grateful or something positive or inspiring in the midst of the challenge? What creative resource, such as one of the ones named above, can help you do so? Find one, and use it to help build resilience.
Song:
- “Dancing in the Moonlight” by King Harvest: https://youtu.be/g5JqPxmYhlo?si=jXScJWN–KZCTpBL
“To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with.” ― Mark Twain
Comedians are acting not just as joke-tellers, but as truth-tellers – as guides through our cultural debates. — Megan Garber
August 23 Daily Devotional