Dan Kim has served for over 20 years as a Christian Reformed Minister serving a variety of churches and chaplaincy.
Here is a personal story and his thoughts on suffering and how it relates his service as a chaplain:
“It was two o'clock in the morning. I got an urgent call and ran to the ICU. A week-old newborn baby was dying. In despair, the family members were huddled around the baby. The baby's mother asked me if I could baptize the baby. I did. We surrounded the baby, held hands, and prayed. Everyone was sobbing. But even in pain, we felt comfort and hope.
In many cases, suffering doesn’t make sense. It is unfair. How can I reasonably understand when a young mother dies of pancreatic cancer, leaving behind her young children? How can I accept when a teenager is sent to prison with a life sentence for unknowingly and unintentionally getting caught in a shooting spree?
People who are suffering often need care rather than a logical explanation for their suffering. Suffering is universal, and everyone has experienced it at some point in their life. I have seen much suffering and pain in my years of ministry in numerous settings. As I look forward to the last chapter of my ministry, I want to provide pastoral care to those facing challenges in hospitals and prisons. May I be used to serve these people by bringing His comfort, peace, and hope!”
Comments
Thank you so much for sharing! I really appreciated this line: People who are suffering often need care rather than a logical explanation for their suffering.
I completely agree. I heard a sermon awhile back from John Dickson where he talked about his dad's sudden death in a plane crash. His wonderings about the "why" of the suffering paled in comparison to the hope he found in knowing that there would be a resolution (in Jesus) to the suffering.
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