Reflections on Suffering: A Cross Disciplinary Conversation

Hi beloveds,

On Sunday, September 29, the Resource Center’s Artist in Residence, M.J. Sharp, gathered us together to discuss something people rarely gather to talk about voluntarily: suffering. As we looked at images consisting of sticky pad traps collected from a family basement with insects on them, we were called to reflect upon what it means to look at death so directly. 

We do it all the time. We swat a fly at a family BBQ. We kill a bug in our home with a shoe. We set traps for what we deem to be pests and pestilence who have no permission occupying space in our home. Yet in all of these actions we rarely consider that these are creatures that are dying. As we engaged the imagery we were also invited by art historian Dr. Elizabeth Howie to reflect upon how a constant onslaught of imagery can create compassion fatigue. As our Anita Mcloud intern, Claire Hambrick, hosted our digital guests for the evening,  she also brought much depth to our conversation, reflecting that witnessing suffering takes on new meaning in the age of social media, bringing with it both newfound ways of consuming tragedy and newfound ways of blocking it out. 

Yet it was perhaps the opening remarks of RCWMS Executive Director, Jeanette Stokes, that were most resonant for many. As we opened the theological discussion for the evening, Jeanette invoked the legacy of Mamie Till-Mobley reminding us of Mamie’s heroic effort to make the suffering of her son Emmett visible before the entire world. As Emmett Till’s body was recovered and brutally disfigured after being murdered by white supremacists, Mamie Till-Mobley shocked the world when she insisted that Emmett’s funeral be one of an open casket stating “let the world see what they did to my boy.”  These opening remarks grounded our conversation, showing us that there have always been marginalized communities in our history who have had to insist and persist that their suffering be made visible and acknowledged by the entire world. 

And what a time in our world to talk about suffering when there is so much of it happening right? This is not to say that at any point in history, we have found ourselves beyond the grip of human pain. It is to say that as we reflected on the suffering of captured creatures, we could not help but be mindful of the suffering inflicted upon many who were in the wrath of Hurricane Helene only two days earlier. The Associated Press has reported a death toll of 277 deaths across six states with signs that this number may rise as recovery efforts continue. As I write this current blog post, many in the state of Florida are recovering from a disaster of catastrophic proportions in the form of Hurricane Milton. As we see the resilience and hope of the people of Appalachia and in the coastal lands of our nation, we also see the pain of the region. The Earth, the very land that we have been left to steward,is groaning. Human caused climate change appears to be the cause for increases in rainfall during Helene’s onset reminding us all that suffering is not only an anthropological reality but an ecological crisis as well.   

As many are processing the catastrophic nature of storms, we are also remembering the one year anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks that caused the death of 1,200 Israeli people. Since that attack, Israel’s ensuing war in Gaza has led to the death of 41,000 Palestinians according to the National Public Radio. October is also the month we recognize Indigenous People’s Day as we reckon with the ongoing effects of colonialism and the historical mistreatment of Indigenous people in the United States. It seems that suffering, whether we are bracing for it, grieving because of it, or seeking to evacuate from it is something we have all been invited to bear witness to in this season. The way MJ artistically accepted the invitation to bear witness to the terror found in a family basement is perhaps an invitation for us all to bear witness to the pain that is sometimes hidden in plain sight all around us. May we be open to the opportunities to stop and truly see the suffering, the containment, and the exploitation enacted on creatures, beings, and people that the world would have us believe are not significant enough to capture our attention or more importantly are not worthy enough to receive our care. 

Note: For those interested in assisting with relief and recovery efforts for the western part of North Carolina our executive director has recommended Beloved Asheville. You can click the DONATE link and there are avenues to donate directly to Hurricane Helene response efforts. Thank you in advance as we seek to assist our neighbors.