I have subscribed to Arthur W. Franks’ blog, “Narrative. Experience. Ethics” for some time. His latest entry prompted this reflection.
He writes about his understanding of narrative , especially within the profession of medicine. He says that everyone is to one extent or another crafting a narrative of their lives that explains their experience and fuels their hopes. Over 1,023 words, he expresses his thoughts far beyond my ability to summarize. Here’s the link if you’d like to read it for yourself.
I found myself going back to another reading yesterday from Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, by Rev. Timothy Keller. He writes about the human experience of inevitable suffering and how most non-Western cultures value it, or at least accept it, as essential in producing something good called “glory.” This glory is witnessed by ourselves, others, and ultimately God.
Suffering by its nature is not something immediately understood and sometimes never understood. If suffering is not integrated into the narrative of a life, that life will disintegrate.
Keller’s writing brought me to a moment of integration in my narrative. Frank speaks to this experience in his essay: “Narratives appear and speak in fragments more than as wholes. These fragmented voices from narratives can be powerfully directive.” The work of creating a life-narrative is not that of sitting down, looking from the beginning to the now, and drafting a coherent story that explains it all. Rather it is claiming those moments of clarity that serve as markers along the way.
I believe I had one of those moments yesterday when I saw that my sufferings serve to produce glory when I simply relate to God as the infinite, sovereign, all-wise, and yet incarnate and suffering God that he is. This glorifies God to God and is the most fitting thing that can be done.
Hopefully, others may witness my life and take away some positives. I want to witness my life and see the qualities that Erik Erikson and others describe as “actualized.” Yet, when God sees my life what does God see. I believe that God hopes to see Himself.
The take we have on our lives will continue to change. When we get glimpses through the dark mirror we have the right and need to share those moments. When someone says, “Can I tell you something?” the most human thing we can do is to repeat a phrase, hold a significant pause, make eye contact, share silences, and allow what was said to resonate.
So be it until the next time the next story about when eternity broke into time, may God be glorified when our glory is revealed.