Vicarious suffering....

"Vicarious suffering" is a term I first learned at theological college. It means taking on the suffering of others. In the writings of the prophet Isaiah there are passages about the servant of God who does this. Of course this was applied to Jesus and his death on the cross. It is a very real part of being a disciple of Jesus in the world. If some of the hurt in the world is going to stop having a bad impact on the world, some people are going to have to absorb it on behalf of others. I see it as being like shock absorbers in a car, absorbing some of the bumps to make life's journey easier for others.

I have been involved in vicarious suffering. Yesterday I spent a few hours listening to a man whose world had caved in. He talked and I listened. It sounds a pretty simple task but it was not. As he talked at various points in our conversation a lump came into my throat as he shared his deep hurts. The more he got into the story of his life the more my feelings were churned up, aching for his present predicament and his past experiences. At some points I was so choked up with emotion that I struggled to respond in a cool calm voice. People say I should keep some sort of professional distance, but I was taking on board his pain. I left the place and came back to my office, realising that because of his urgent need my plans for the day had been blown apart, my service preparation time had been eaten into and I would have to review how I was going to get things done. As I sat in my office trying again to get back on track with stuff, I could not concentrate. I was still churned up with his hassles. In the end I went up to our drop-in centre area and worked on rehanging some cupboard doors. Nice physical work that could distract me. I do believe that to make a difference in the world there are times we are called upon to be shock absorbers, taking on other's pain in different ways; - "Vicarious suffering" out of the theological text books and into the real world.

When I picked up my wife from her volunteer work at the hospital at 6p.m. she suggested the option of going out for our evening meal. I turned the offer down because I was wanting to do some mid- week exercise, a run, bike ride or walk. I came home, changed and went up "my" mountain, Mount Cargill, walking up the Organ pipe track. It may seem stupid that I go up there so often. I know the track well. But it is the combination of enclosed bush, birdsong and expansive scenic views that make this a track I never tire of. I enjoyed my hour or so on the mountain and during that walk the service preparation I was behind in "came to me", the pain I had experienced in my sharing that morning dissipated and I came home a different man.