The Divine Milieu Theology Of Suffering Analysis

Anabella Morabito
02/23/2015
Spirituality and Justice
The Divine Milieu: Theology of Suffering In speaking of the Holocaust and a theology and suffering and solidarity, Rabbi Irving Greenberg gave an image which compelled me when I first heard of it in my Liberation Christology class. Goizueta paraphrased the statement in saying “To stand over a pit of burning children and say ‘God is love’, is incredible and obscene. In the face of that kind of unconscionable cruelty the only credible statement is to step in, pull the child out, clean their face, and heal his or her wounds.” Certainly a compelling statement for me, given my constant look to the practical. Trying to find practical ways to alleviate suffering, dwelling within the realm of
Teilhard brings us the passivities and the activities, the idea that we may find the extraordinary in the ordinary. But Teilhard’s work challenges me, because he draws our attention to the passivities; a realm which I often try to avoid. He states that "Seen from our point of view, the active occupies first place because we prefer it and because it is more easily perceived. But in the reality of things the passive is immeasurably the wider and the deeper part." (46) Teilhard's emphasis on the passive calls me to discern a theology of suffering within the realm of passivities (not just a theology of suffering that in activities looks to solve problems), it calls me to a theology which seeks to answer the question: “But can God also be found in and through death?” (52) And more
My partner was sexually abused several times as a child by both a woman and a man, and it has been a personal struggle for him to be in a fully healthy sexual encounter with anybody since then. His body has not healed the memory of the abuse and any encounter can trigger profound suffering and disconnection for him. My being with him, my accompanying him, has certainly been the biggest challenge of my life; to love someone that is limited in his ability to relate with others and to understand himself as a sexual being. I have studied spirituality and sexuality, I have looked to understand the depths of the mystery in his heart, I have looked to grow in awareness of his limitations and wounds and cater to that in the best of my ability, I have learned ways to minister to this, I have explored psychotherapy and meditation and its tremendous benefits in healing. I have intellectually explored his condition for the past 2 years. I have shared tremendous experiences of darkness with him, and I have sat in the midst of his suffering (as well as mine). It has been hard for me to not be able to share a ‘normal’ relationship with him, but it is even harder for me to not be able to solve the problem. It is harder for me to understand intellectually all that needs to happen, and have the ministerial capacity to help others begin to heal experiences similar to his in