Why Do We Hurt?

Introduction Why do we hurt? This is a question we all face. It is a question that has been asked through all of history. It is a question that confronts all people—asked by the rich and the poor, the slave and the free, the weak and the powerful, the intellectuals and the pragmatics. It is a question I’m sure you have faced. It is a question I have faced. It is a question I encounter regularly in my clinical practice as a physical therapist. So answering it not only has very real ramifications for how we handle the challenges of each and every day, but it also leads to more abstract sorts of questions. You know, those questions about the fundamental nature of the universe. Why is there so much evil and suffering? How can we stop it? What is the purpose for it? Is there even a purpose? And, for many, if there is a god, why does he, she, or it allow all this to continue? In fact, this issue is one of the common unanswered questions given as a reason for not believing in God. And it is the question that we will be taking head-on together in the pages of this book. To help understand this question, there is a lot that we can draw from our personal experiences with physical pain. Understanding the physiology of pain provides an illustration for the broader experience of pain we see in the world around us. That is the primary perspective that I hope to offer with this book. However, making that application of our lived experience through physical pain to the broader experience of physical and moral suffering throughout the world, in general, necessitates a discussion of other components of how we each view the world. Because of that, this book will also discuss elements of philosophy and theology and how those are important parts of each of our worldviews. I personally hold a Christian worldview informed by a biblical theology as best as I can ascertain it. So I will be answering this question from that perspective and also addressing many of the challenges to the Christian faith that I have encountered through this question. At this point, I bet some of you perusing this introduction—trying to determine if this is a book worth reading—are now thinking, Good grief! Another Christian self-help book! Probably just another person trying to brand his own approach to Christianity. Or, Add it to the list—another high-minded philosopher sitting back in his armchair, sipping brandy, and moralizing the world’s pain and suffering. I am not going to deny that addressing the question of pain and suffering in the world from an intellectual perspective can often appear convoluted, cold, and without compassion. And I admit that I, too, have read books that seemed to philosophize the reality of pain and suffering into an abstract oblivion that made applying anything that was being said all but impossible. But I will be quick to add that there is a place in the conversation for these more intellectual discussions. I will also admit that I have read books and articles that are amazingly superficial and that seem to say, “Pain is just a result of your sin. Turn to God, repent, and all will be well.” Or, “You of little faith! Just claim your healing! Believe, and God will take this trial from you!” These resources don’t seem to take seriously the complexities of individual situations. They don’t seem to appreciate the intricacies of unique circumstances. And it feels that they offer only pat answers that leave you feeling invalidated and not helped (despite their claimed intention). Yet there is some truth in these sentiments, and we don’t want to fall into the trap of believing that my situation is the exception to every rule. So I don’t mean to add just another book to the plethora of literature and opinions out there. I want to offer a unique perspective on an age-old question. What perspective is that? Thanks for asking! Let me give you some of my background. My interest in this topic was spurred while I was an undergraduate student. My wife and I married between my sophomore and junior years of college. During this time, she was going through a particularly challenging season in her life. She had had years of chronic pain, which had led to several appointments with numerous doctors with different training and philosophies. She had received multiple different opinions and recommendations on treatment, but pain persisted, a definitive diagnosis remained elusive, and the limitations on her activity ebbed and flowed with the severity of her pain. … Further, I found what was probably the most helpful thing I was able to do for my wife during this challenging time was not acquiring all of the knowledge and facts about how scientists believe pain works but to be in the day-to-day walk with her. Being a consistent presence for her—attempting to understand what was going on in her body and how that was affecting her mind and heart. And through that process, I discovered that whatever health care career I ended up in, I wanted to be able to do that with people. I wanted to be able to walk with them through their pain, injury, or illness. … So here, my Christian beliefs will be made clear. I encourage all who read this book, Christian or not, to consider the idea that that foundation—that peace—is found in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For those Christians reading this, we can see this in Hebrews 2:18: “For since He [Jesus Christ] himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aide of those who are tempted” (NASB). Jesus suffered, just as we do. And He experienced it to help us. … Jesus was acquainted with suffering. He was even tempted by that suffering. He knew it. He felt it. He experienced it on the cross. Yet He conquered it through His resurrection. And not only that, but He is with us in our own suffering.