Suffering

"It's from our sufferings that we form our consciousness" Lisa Bonet Whether these words are original with the young lady or not is no matter. They are ascribed to her and she is very intelligent. Suffering is unique. Our pleasures are similar to the joy of everyone else, but our suffering is uniquely ours. We brand our name on our pain with questions of guilt: what did we do to deserve this? we tear ourselves down to the very quivering wave of existence, and if we dare face the world, we let ourselves be built back up again to the individual we are, as we remember ourselves to be.

Suffering make us unique, for it makes the world slow down to focus on our abasement, whereas joy speeds everything up and slingshots us into the millenium. Look at Job; even in his righteousness, he could not have been as righteous as he makes himself out to be when he laments the turnabout of his fortune. It is he as Job who is at the center of the universe, the sole concern of God and the Tempter and all the hosts of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.