IT IS NOT MY PORTION: CHRISTIAN ESCAPISM Gabriel C.

Amobi

Introduction: It is common and even expected that man avoids pain, failure, ill-luck, sickness, etc., on the one hand, and on the other, to strive after success, fortune, achievement, wealth, etc.. Obviously, God ordains peace and progress: Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all the living creatures that move on earth (Gen. 1:28).The words of the very first psalm bears eloquent testimony, also, to the fact that the man who puts his trust in the Lord prospers in all he does (cf. Ps. 1:3). The foregoing has a single thrust: God decrees good fortunes, progress and happiness for those who wait for his love. But this does not represent the whole picture. Is it true that the good man always prospers and never suffers? If he does suffer in our daily experiences, how then does one reconcile this suffering and misfortune of the righteous man with Gods promise? How can one ever justify the suffering and death of Christ? Must every suffering be avoided, even at the expense of ones faith in God? Can suffering be welcomed in total resignation to the will of a loving God, and endured with nobility and hope? In a word, is suffering also an integral part of the cost of the Christian discipleship? Indeed, these are the questions that will punctuate this write-up, and in their light, attempt will be made to understand whether, in certain circumstance, suffering, pain, or disappointment, etc, can be the portion of a true Christian. This is because not a few Christians nowadays, in the face of minutest impending suffering and/or pain, dole out this already-popular mantra, It is not my portion. Man and Suffering: Following the fall of our first parents, pain, struggle, strife, hardship, labour, etc, became the lot of man in his daily activities. But even beyond this biblical belief, man of all ages bore evidences in their lives that any meaningful achievement that worth its salts has proportionate amount of toils, suffering, hard labour, and sometimes pain. Even, it is increasingly becoming crystal clear that most pleasures of life usually have pain in their wake. To be sure, the above never suggests that one should always willingly strive after difficult situations. Suffering and pain ought to be avoided and abated when necessary. But this may not always be the case. In some circumstances, certain measures of pain and suffering are the corollaries of meaningful achievements, while in others, suffering can never be avoided, but endured, like the usual experiences of patients with cancer or other chronic diseases. Furthermore, suffering and pain has been and continue to be gateways of enormous lessons for man, thus the saying, whatever does not kill us makes us stronger. In a nutshell, the crux of this section is to establish that though man should not seek for suffering for its own sake, some measures of suffering are indispensable, unavoidable and even, beneficial in certain situations of life. These particular situations ought to be accepted with courage and resignation to the will of our loving Father. Here, Christ has already given us a veritable example. The Example of Christ Christ, our Redeemer, during his life on earth, demonstrated to us that suffering should not be sought for its own sake. He healed the sick, restored the dead to their mournful relations, fed the hungry crowd, sought justice for the defenceless, to be economical with enumeration. Yet, he never was reluctant in teaching his disciples that invaluable benefits which can accrue from any suffering

well endured. Time and again, he admonished them, and us in turn, that many will be persecuted in his name. He forewarned his beloved apostles that the shepherd will be struck and the sheep will scatter. In addition, according to the synoptic tradition, he foretold his passion and death sorrowfully to his apostles thrice. Then, at the eve of his passion, in the garden of Gethsemane, he showed the highest and best approach to the phenomenon of suffering. At the height of the horrors of the approaching suffering and death, he never uttered a negative word; he never said that this imminent death was not his portion. Rather, he committed the frightening situation into the loving providence of God: My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. Nevertheless, let it be as you, not I, would have it (Mt.26:36-46; Mk.14:32-42; Lk.22:40-46). This model prayer of Jesus Christ dictates to Christians of all ages the right and apposite attitude to suffering and extreme difficult situations. Thus, Christians should not pray, It is not my portion. In all circumstance, no matter how bleak, Christians ought to wish and seek for Gods will to be done because the foolishness of God is wiser than any human wisdom. And, when out of his love and wisdom he allows us to suffer, it is ever for a greater good. With a hindsight on the bright morning of Easter, one understands the raison dtre of the Good Friday. The aforementioned example of Christ is coterminous with his teaching on the cost of a true discipleship. The Cost of a True Discipleship In several passages in the Gospel, the evangelists show that Christ never hesitated nor minced words in pointing out clearly to his disciples the full implications of being his followers. At the highest echelon of his caveats, Christ averred succinctly, Whoever wants to be a follower of mine, must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me (Mt.16:24; Mk.8:34; Lk.9:23). These two conditions denial of oneself and carrying of ones cross which Christ demanded of his followers must never be forgotten at any moment. Hardly is Christ truly preached, remembered in history without a strong reference on his Cross. Indeed, there is no crossless Christ. It is quite regrettable and unfortunate that some contemporary preachers today, perhaps due to sordid gains, proclaim empty prosperity gospels to their adherents; a gospel that makes them Christians without requiring them to carry their cross; a gospel that convinces them of a crossless Christ; a gospel that tells them that suffering of any sort is not their portion. Interestingly, one wonders whether there could exist any meaning portion outside the copious merits that continually flow directly from the Cross of Christ. What portion can a Christian pant for than to have a privileged share in the merits of Christs sufferings, passion, death and resurrection? If a Christian rejects these as his portion, what then is his portion? Conclusion: For the whole gamut of this write-up, we have attempted to x-ray, situate and comprehend a saying, which is swiftly forming the catchy words of Christians nowadays: It is not my portion. On the face level, some Christians increasingly employ these words in rejecting any looming sign of the slightest discomfort, failure, disappointment, sickness, to be economical with enumeration. Ordinarily, one may give a neutral judgement on these situations. But the alarming degree with which Christians readily compromise the gospel message in order to avert their daily crosses can no longer be ignored. In this light, it is not my portion is indicative of Christians quest for a crossless Christ, which does not exist anywhere; it is indicative of the eclipse of faith and trust in Gods loving providence. When a Christian, a supposed follower of Christ, wholly rejects the passion and death of Christ with their attendant merits as his portion, what then can be a better portion?