One Reason Why People Ignore Those with Chronic Pain

Often the Church is silent when it comes to dealing with people and their chronic pain/illness issues. Why is this? The chronic pain that is not healed can bring up unanswerable questions for others as well as for the woman. Chronic pain in others, especially pain in those who are friends or family, can cause a crisis of faith.  The chronic pain can raise questions about the power and goodness of God.

• If God is powerful and good why does He allow bad things to happen?
• What if God isn’t powerful or good?

Many people do not want to wrestle with these uncomfortable questions. So they ignore (sometimes unconsciously) the woman in pain. By ignoring the woman or blaming her, it is easier for them to ignore the questions and to where the answers might lead.

“The church was our major social life, so our social structure fell apart [when] we were just plain ignored by most of our church, judged by some. I really struggle with the realization that my non-Christian friends have been much more there than my Christian friends.”[1]

Have you ever wrestled with uncomfortable questions about God? About a friend’s or loved one’s chronic pain/illness?  Where are you with the answers?

 Related Articles:

1 out 3 People Suffer From Chronic Pain

4 Differences Between Acute & Chronic Pain   

Looking Fine & Still in Chronic Distress

Feelings & Thoughts Affected by Chronic Pain

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[1]Stuart S.  Kassan, Chronic Pain for Dummies. Hoboken: Wiley Publishing, 2008, p. 29.