Consolation and Blessing

2 Corinthians 1:1-11 (NRSV)

Shared suffering, unshaken hope

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God that is in Corinth, including all the saints throughout Achaia:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation.

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again, as you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. 

Suffering is inevitable.  We often question why, and especially in the midst of suffering, that's a fair question.  But as suffering abates, and strength begins anew, and we look back on our suffering, we often see it with new eyes.  New eyes because in many ways we are a new person.  Suffering can't help but change us.  And with faith, and yes, perseverance and hope, that suffering can change our hearts and make us ready to be there for the next person near us who is suffering.

I'm not a big fan of the "God bless America" slogan for two reasons.  The first is that as Christians, God's blessings shouldn't reign down on only our physical location - God's more global than that.  But more importantly for me is that that slogan is incomplete.

Paul reminds us today that the Father of mercies consoles us in all affliction so that we may then console others.  In the same way, God blesses us not as an end in itself, but so that we in turn may bless others.  Bless our neighbors.  Bless those who are hurting.  Bless those who are hungry for physical food as well as for the Word of God.  And sometimes, bless our enemies.  We are blessed to be a blessing.  God's blessing is meant to go on, not stopped at an end point.

Sometimes that blessing comes after suffering and struggle and tragedy and fear and sorrow have first had their way with us.  Have first done their work and left us vulnerable.  And hopefully in that time, someone has reached out as God's hand to console us and comfort us and help lift us out of the pit.  And then blessed us.  And then sent us on our way to do the same for someone else.  Console and bless.  It's a process that's been happening since time immemorial.  We will need that consolation and blessing more times perhaps in our lives than we would like.  But as we do, hold on to the hope Paul speaks of so that we can then be God's hand of strength for someone else.

Merciful God, you console us in our sorrow, both by your presence and by the people you have put in our lives to help us heal.  You have also blessed us richly and continually renew that blessing to strengthen us to be a consolation and blessing to others.  Send someone today into our lives if we are in pain to comfort us and console us, and then dear Lord, when it is time, send us on our way to do the same for others.  Amen.