Evil and injustice… these painful realities disrupt our lives and world.
How does a Christian respond to suffering?
Dr. Mika Edmondson is the lead pastor of Koinonia Nashville. He earned his Ph.D. at Calvin Theological Seminary. In his dissertation, he studied how Dr. King’s theology provides a roadmap for responding to suffering in today’s world.
This interview was hosted by Carson Weitnauer, Executive Director of Uncommon Pursuit.
Questions covered:
How is it that unearned suffering is redemptive?
What does it look like to willingly accept violence upon oneself? And why would someone do this?
As a Christian, and as a student of King’s theology, what do you think the church needs to hear in regards to the situation of many - certainly not all - of our black brothers and sisters in Christ?
I think a lot of people would say - King’s vision is too idealistic. But my reality is, I don’t want to suffer, be nonviolent, and love my enemies. I want to defeat my enemies. They are the unjust ones who should suffer - not me. How would you respond to that?
Another approach. I think the heart attitude is, “That’s terrible, but I don’t want to get involved. It would cost me too much, cost my family too much. I hope things get better for the poor and the oppressed, and I feel sad about what they have going on, but that’s not a fight I want to take on. Honestly, I’m afraid of what might happen to me if I tried to do anything about it.” What is your response to this heart attitude?
How does prayer help us endure suffering in a redemptive way?
How do we maintain hope while avoiding optimism?
In our polarized country, what do we need to overcome suffering?