Turning Loss into a Symbol of Hope

There is suffering in the world, and it can affect us and our loved ones, especially through incurable diseases, relationship breakups, accidents, and natural disasters. Naturally, we seek to understand who or what causes this suffering.

Dorothee Soelle, a German social theologian, asked an important question: “Does our suffering serve God or the devil? Does it lead to becoming more alive or morally paralyzed?” She urged us to focus not on where tragedy originates but on where it leads. Soelle suggested that death can testify either to God or the devil, to hope or despair.

Our perception of suffering and death shapes where it leads us. Soelle highlighted that it is not the circumstances of death that make someone a witness for or against God, but how we react to their passing. Rabbi Harold Kushner adds, “If the death and suffering of someone we love make us bitter, jealous, against all religion, and incapable of happiness, we turn them into one of the 'devil’s martyrs.'” However, if their suffering and death push us to expand our strength, love, and cheerfulness, we make them witnesses for life and hope.

The death of our loved ones hurts deeply, and their absence can never be filled. Though we may not have been able to save them or ease their pain, we can still do something crucial after their death: ensure they become witnesses for God and life. By resisting despair and maintaining faith, we prevent their legacy from becoming tied to darkness and despair. Though challenging, it is the right path to allow their suffering and death to be symbols of hope, cheerfulness, and life.

Notes

Kushner H. S. (1981). When bad things happen to good people (pp. 150-152). Anchor Books.

Soelle, D. in Kushner H. S. (1981). When bad things happen to good people (pp. 150-152). Anchor Books.