Be Creative in Your Suffering

Last updated on: March 11, 2021 at 7:17 am by Paul Louis Metzger

Be Creative in Your Suffering 2021-03-11T07:17:46-08:00 Paul Louis Metzger

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Christopher has always had a special place in his heart for Dr. John M. Perkins. Here is a picture of them taken in Vancouver, Washington several years ago. So, the other day, I called and left a message for Dr. Perkins, asking him to call me about an urgent matter, if at all possible. We hadn’t spoken in awhile, but his influence on me and impact on my family haven’t waned. Nor has his remembrance of Christopher.

The very first question Dr. Perkins asked me when he called back two days ago was how my son is doing. He had no idea that I had called to share about Christopher’s traumatic brain injury and comatose state, which has lasted more than six weeks. After I explained the medical situation, Dr. Perkins told me in a tender and anguished tone how precious Christopher is and that he would definitely talk to Christopher and pray for him over the phone.

So, yesterday, when he called, I put the phone on speaker close to Christopher’s ear there in the hospital room. Dr. Perkins’ strong, deep voice reverberated with gentleness, compassion, and affirmation of my son’s inherent dignity as he spoke to Christopher and prayed God’s love and healing mercies over him. Dr. Perkins recalled their intuitive bond of mutual affection and respect when talking to my son. It was a moving experience, as was our conversation after he finished his prayer for my beloved boy. Dr. Perkins told me how honored he felt that I would call and ask him to talk and pray over Christopher during our hour of greatest need as a family.

Dr. Perkins is no stranger to pain. He knows what it is like to experience trauma. All one needs to do is read his autobiography Let Justice Roll Down to get a vivid sense of the kind of tortuous suffering Dr. Perkins has endured. I believe Dr. Perkins’ authentic and transparent faith refined by fire has always spoken to Christopher. Christopher hates fake faith and there is nothing fake about Dr. Perkins’ Christian journey.

Many years ago, when Christopher was still a child, my son and I listened to Dr. Perkins share with a group of teens about his life experience during a conference in Olympia, Washington, where we served as speakers. This civil rights leader and Bible teacher reflected on Galatians 2:20, as I recall, and spoke of his own cruciform life in following the Lord Jesus. The Apostle Paul’s words recorded in Galatians 2:20 read: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (NIV). In his talk, Dr. Perkins referenced a well-documented beating he received in 1970 for his civil rights work addressing racism and poverty in Mississippi. The beating nearly killed him. He also mentioned in passing how the throbbing in his head from the trauma he endured lasted for decades. I realized then and there that Dr. Perkins has “an incredible threshold for pain,” as one mutual friend later told me. Christopher wrote on a card that afternoon how Dr. Perkins’ reflection on Galatians 2:20 and his testimony really helped Christopher understand clearly the good news of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Perkins has also helped me over the years to understand better the good news of Jesus Christ. Yesterday our conversation in Christopher’s hospital room was no exception. I reminisced with Dr. Perkins about a talk he gave to a group of New Wine, New Wineskins leaders at Bob and Cooky Wall’s house years earlier. There he exhorted us: “Be creative in your suffering.” Given my family’s own current state of agonizing pain, I asked him to develop further that theme. In his explanation, this senior sage and mentor summed up James 1:2-4: ”Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (NIV). Rather than see our trials as mere obstacles, we need to realize that they are opportunities to lead us catalytically on the path of mature discipleship in Jesus Christ.

Yesterday was the second time I was in a hospital room with Dr. Perkins, albeit over the phone on this occasion. In fact, he referenced the prior incident with me on the phone just the other day. A few years back, he had to stop short his lecture to my doctoral students at Multnomah Biblical Seminary due to severe aggravation of his stomach. We had to rush him to emergency at a Portland hospital. The cause was that same 1970 beating and a blotched surgery involving scar tissue.

I pushed back the tears yesterday as I listened and spoke with Dr. Perkins. God pulled back the veil as we sat next to Christopher lying in his bed. As we read in Galatians 2:20 and James 1:2-4, God does not waste trials and suffering. What about us? For God’s beloved son and my beloved son’s sake, I refuse to allow the hellish suffering and trials we are going through as a family to be wasted. I need to be creative in my suffering for Jesus and my son’s sake. What that looks like down the road, I do not yet know. But what I do know is that Jesus always confronts harm, including victimizing hate, indifference, and callousness, head-on with God’s holy, victorious and just love to bring relational healing. Dr. Perkins, and my son Christopher’s abiding connection to him even now, while in a coma, is living proof.

Uncategorized

About Paul Louis Metzger

Paul Louis Metzger, Ph.D., is Professor of Theology & Culture, Multnomah University & Seminary; Director of The Institute for Cultural Engagement: New Wine, New Wineskins; and author of numerous works, including Consuming Jesus: Beyond Race and Class Divisions in a Consumer Church (with an afterword by John M. Perkins). You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

March 7, 2021

Thoughts on Heaven and Hell Here On Earth

Next Post

March 13, 2021 Statistical Probabilities and Personal Possibilities in Patient and Pastoral Care

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2025 April 2025 March 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz