Why God had to come down

It’s just after sunset. I’m standing on a cliff overlooking the Baltic Sea. The hues of twilight are being amplified by reflections from the crystal clear water. Before me, some distance away, stands a solitary island, inhabited only by lush green trees and their inhabitants. The only sound I can hear is birds and insects idly chatting away. A serene summer evening, not uncommon in nature rich Sweden, a country that still remains mostly unspoiled by urban development.

Yet, even though surrounded by such splendor, I am not happy. Because right there, in that moment, I’m not thinking of the beauty of life but rather it’s ugliness. I’m thinking of my friend whose husband repeatedly tells her how marrying her was his biggest mistake, stabbing her heart with his words. I’m thinking of the young woman who’s husband has left her because ‘she’s not pretty anymore’ after she suffers burns in a fire accident. I’m thinking of the woman driven by desperation to the point of selling her body for less than a dollar, just to feed her starving children. The thoughts go on. Why is there so much pain in this world? I whisper a little prayer. God, I say, I cannot enjoy all this beauty when there is so much suffering around me. It’s unbearable to watch all this from the safe distance of my comfortable life. Like sitting on a cozy sofa in front of a television screen. It’s unbearable to not be there, to not be suffering the same pain as someone you love.

A hear God reply. “Yeah it was unbearable for me too. I couldn’t enjoy heaven in all its splendour while on Earth you suffered; the ugliness of a fallen world. I wanted to share your pain. Not as an onlooker full of pity, but a fellow sufferer. And so I did. I came down and suffered. The pain. Of being human. Of being powerless. Of a broken heart. Of betrayal. Of hunger. Of sickness. Of injustice. Of a shattered dream. Of bad choices. Of loneliness. Of hurtful words. Of tragedy. Of false accusations. Of selfishness. Of pride. Of death". All implications of man’s separation from God.  

“Everything you feel in a lifetime, I felt.” 

I wonder if we sometimes forget this important aspect of the good news: God in flesh, actually dwelt among us, he felt our pains. Jesus suffered like us in every way, he's familiar with our afflictions, the letter to the Hebrews (4:15) tells us. And therefore, he understands how I feel. I think that's the only reason this life is bearable.