This is an interesting, philosophical letter, but also one of huge practical importance.

It is important because it is very hard to be very effective channels of God’s love while we are suffering intensely and intense suffering is a common occurrence in many of our lives.

It is practical because it gives us useful, intellectual understanding to do something about our suffering.

First, we must be sure we are clear about the difference between pain and suffering. In my experience, in our culture, these two words are taken to be almost synonymous, yet they are not and this letter points us to their very different natures.

Pain is a natural and necessary part of our creaturehood. It is actually a blessing that makes life in the physical world possible. It alerts us to vital threats and guides us quickly towards safer actions. Pain protects us and we should thank God for giving it to us.

Suffering, however, is a different story entirely. While pain is a natural part of our body’s physiology, as God says, here: “Suffering is a state of mind.” God explains this further by saying: “You package events in your life.” This statement is not quite so direct, but it seems clear that it means we react to painful events and experiences in our lives by often making more out of them then they need to be. We take an experience and generate all kinds of fearful images about it for our future. Most of the time, we are not even aware that we are doing this. Often what pain means to us is potential loss.

For example, when we have a serious automobile accident and break bones and injure organs, often lurking in the back of our minds is the fear that we will not heal completely and we imagine the permanent loss of some of our natural freedoms of bodily action. And, further, when we are in pain, it is easy to imagine that this pain will never go away, or even get progressively worse. Any pain or disability also implies to us the specter of our eventual and approaching physical demise, and many of us are too easily terrified of our view of this potential threat.

The reality is that the fears of imagined loss lodge in our minds and bodies. These fears can and do slow down or even prevent healing. These fears and negative emotions can become entrenched and become the cause of permanent pain and disability. It is as if our fears become self-fulfilling prophesies for us. To make matters worse, when pain becomes suffering it is a multiplier and dramatic extender of our discomfort.

We are given, in this letter, two important tools to rid ourselves of unnecessary suffering. One is that we can make an unconscious process conscious and be aware of the links in the chain that result in our suffering. Knowing that our mind takes a very active part in creating our suffering is a powerful awareness. To know that the exterior events of our lives, while possibly being responsible for our pain, are never responsible for our suffering is empowering in and of itself.

A second tool, at least equally important, is the realization that, as God puts it: “It is inevitable that you will be healed from whatever has signaled for you to suffer.” We are assured that all pain and all suffering are temporary. Reflecting on the Truth of our eternal nature and the temporary nature of our problems is powerful calming medicine. Like pain, death is a natural part of life and makes life possible. If there is no other remedy, death is also a release.

This awareness and these realizations, as they grow in us can: “Remove suffering from your life.” We can better follow our Creator’s request: “….let go of suffering. Anchor love instead.”

Wow! This letter is dynamite!.........Chuck