Principles, Parenting & Purpose

Needless Suffering

September 9, 2020

“I never cease to wonder at the cruelty of this land” — Lord Is It Mine (Remastered 2010)

There’s a scene in V for Vendetta that captured my attention. A woman, imprisoned, receives a note through a crack in the wall. On it:

"To live is to suffer, but to survive is to find meaning in one’s suffering.”

It’s simple—just a quote on a piece of paper.

It wasn’t about philosophy or politics. It was about dignity. About how, even in the middle of something brutal, meaning could still matter.

That moment stayed with me. It made me think about the kind of suffering we go through—the kind that teaches us something. But also the kind we inflict on each other for no good reason.

Some suffering is part of life. But some of it… is needless. Understanding, and accepting these truths, and moving forward, is a cornerstone of human experience. Progress often demands struggle—sometimes, even greater suffering—but the reward is often a better life for all.

On the micro level, human history is riddled with extraordinary suffering in its most horrifying forms. And yet, from a broader view, we see progress: better education, lower infant mortality, improved healthcare, greater affluence, cleaner water, more food security, better housing, faster communication, and slowly… cleaner energy.

Our job is to look at the world honestly and do our part. Suffering will find us—we don’t need to seek it out—but we must not turn away from it. Facing adversity builds strength. And strength, used wisely, becomes compassion.

Live fearlessly. Love fearlessly. Give unselfishly. If you must suffer, do your best. Pursue what is right.

Whether you are suffering or not, choose consciously. Think clearly. Speak truth. Act rightly. Forgive. Let go of expectation—but never let go of what is right.

Learn the balance: to see truth clearly. To pursue right thought, right words, and right action.

Your missions:

Realize that effort yields results.

Discover that faith yields life.

And, understand this: You are powerful—you shape the world around you. And at the same time, you are a spirit inhabiting a body, bound by time and space.

You are far greater than you know.

And God is far greater still—holding us all in His hands. We are loved beyond imagining.

Suffering challenges our understanding of a loving God.

How can we reconcile suffering, pain, trauma, and all that is wrong in the world with divine love?

Realize long-obscured truths...

Here, in our freedom, we imagine we are separate from God.

Here, we have invited suffering.

Learn well—so the suffering is not needless.