Discovering a Deeper Personal Response to Suffering
John Shaw Wednesday, 1 December 2004
In considering our ordinary responses to suffering, there are two that have me especially concerned. The first is indifference, turning away, choosing entertainment or the routine of our lives over involvement. The second response to suffering that concerns me seems the reverse of indifference, namely, an enthusiastic and over-rapid leap into problem-solving, a rolling up of the mental sleeves, what I will call the "cognitive response." While it is almost self-evident from a Christian perspective to condemn indifference and summon thoughtful people to engage in practical work against the causes of suffering, I propose that the second response, the purely cognitive response, also needs a critique.
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