Editorial Comments

The Ambiguity of Suffering

Paul Tillich's Systematic Theology, Vol. III devotes most of that work to the "ambiguity of life." His cryptic language is without ambiguity. The moment of our conception is the moment in which we begin not only to live but also to die The ambiguity of self-creation and destruction in all of life processes is a fundamental experience of all life (53) And feminist Catholic theologian Elizabeth Johnson catches the dramatic paradox of suffering's ambiguity.

"Suffering people are the privileged place where the God of Compassion is found." (Consider Jesus, p.126).

The essays of this volume illuminate that ambiguity. Peter Gilmour loves the irony of ambiguity. Always critical of his own religious tradition, Peter teases about the nature of the "religious" hospital and finds God in a rather more ambiguous place, in the mutual conversation with the dead. Peter's Catholicism transcends institution and turns mystical.

Associate Editor Sebastian MacDonald, CP provides a critique of Peter's essay. It is the hope of this Notebook that this kind of exchange will become a regular part of these issues. Which means, this is my personal invitation to add your opinion to these pages. We will try to print as many as possible to create a larger community of conversation. So this is a special thank you to Peter and Sebastian for their contributions.

Lee Joesten knows all about hospitals. He lives his professional life at Lutheran General Hospital. Joesten's theology of suffering is tempered by the faithful hope of his experience with patients. He knows the value of truth learned in childhood and tested in suffering. He knows the limits of promise hope over experience, not because of experience.

If there is an essay to anger the casual reader it is probably Jill Baumgaertner's. Tuesdays with Morrie is a cultural icon of popular humanist religion in general. It is not about the integrity of Judaism. It is godless in its gospel, neither true to Morrie's religious tradition, Judaism, nor to any serious struggle with the question of God and human suffering. Hence its on-going popularity, based I am sure on the basic denial of difficult death with in the common human spirit.

Phyllis Kersten I know best. She is my pastor. Her homily is healing and binds the Christian tradition to real hope, when there is no evidence. Our second daughter attended that service. She wasn't instantly healed of her loss and memory. She was, however, given support and both the words of her sisters and those of Phyllis helped the anguish of a child lost.

Jim Corbett's poem is personal. It speaks clearly to my own sixty-seven year old body. It is a poem of ambiguities' abundance. It is written for those with chronic "decay." Corbett is a goat walker, a rancher, and one of the very early activists in the Sanctuary Movement. He is a Quaker who knows the economy of words.

This is our first issue which includes a work of art and some commentary on that work. We are fortunate to have reflections from the artist, Fr. Julian Morgan, CP as well as Fr. John T. Render, CP. This painting, "crucifixion" touches the heart of the Christian message. It touches all the ambiguous feelings which are experienced upon viewing. We are grateful to the artist, and to the Passionist Research Center for permission to use the painting.

My thanks to Larry, for kind words. My sincere gratitude to David Anderson for the new format, design, and unambiguous beauty of our new look.

Stephen Schmidt, Editor