Nothing brings people closer together than shared suffering.
— Francine Rivers
This week we will all hear a lot about the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and other targets. Last night I was watching a documentary on 9/11. It was about the aftermath of 9/11 in New York City.
Immediately following attack on the World Trade Center and for months afterward, New York City was thrown into turmoil. People were scared, injured and confused. They had been attacked by an unseen and largely unknown enemy. And in this situation, they came together to strive to overcome the challenges they faced. This massive and seemingly insurmountable problem brought people together in a way that only suffering can.
Suffering has a way of doing this for people. When the chips are all on the table and the people start feeling real pain, it sweeps away all the unimportant things that so often drive wedges between us.
All of us are similarly under attack from a hidden and subtle enemy. Every day, Satan seeks to destroy each and every one of us. Too often, in this fight for our souls, we suffer in silence. We wage our internal and external battles in silence and loneliness. Out of fear or shame or pride, we choose to not share our struggles with those around us. In doing so, we lose the opportunity to understand each other. And we lose the opportunity to love and support each other.
We can use our shared struggles to grow closer and to help us look past the minor differences that drive us apart. When we do this we can truly learn to be one.
What challenges are you struggling with in silence? How could sharing your struggles help you draw closer to others? How could it help strengthen them in their challenges?