The cross, therefore, is not a symbol to explain inexplicable suffering. We do not need Jesus to explain or contain our rage when faced by the tragedies of the world. Rather Jesus's cross is his alone, making possible a people who do not need an explanation for inexplicable suffering. Love, not explanation, is required when we are faced by the tragedies of life. Our task, a task made possible as well as demanded by the cross, is not to turn away when faced by the suffering of others who are often made all the more alien and frightening by their suffering. Rather our task is to be present to one another when there is quite literally nothing we can do to save ourselves or those we love from having to suffer.
Stanley Hauerwas, A Cross-shattered Church
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