Viola Desmond, Suffering and Redemption

Viola Desmond, Suffering and Redemption

“…upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.”

Isaiah 53:5

Holy Week has begun. We begin to consider with our minds and participate though our liturgies the great mystery of the suffering of Jesus. The word suffering does not cross my lips easily. I only confront the reality of suffering in our wonderful but deeply wounded world on my knees. There is too much suffering. I can only seem to think about these things on my knees. It is far too simplistic for me, a healthy, wealthy man blessed with a healthy family to consider these things without an overabundance of gratitude for today’s daily portion of breath, health and peace. O Lord have mercy on us all.

In this short reflection I will consider a very narrow aspect of suffering. I want to consider the power that explodes as a result of unjust suffering.

What is an example of unjust suffering? Well, there are so many but since Rev Dr. Lennett Anderson and his church family are being dragged into the bowels of unjust suffering through the actions of Sobeys I will briefly discuss one who knows unjust suffering – Viola Desmond.

After her car broke down in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia in 1946, Viola Desmond, a Canadian of African descent, purchased a ticket to a local movie theatre while awaiting repairs. She had no idea that the seating area on the main floor was reserved for whites only. She suffered the indignity of being dragged out of the theatre by police, spent a night in jail, charged with defrauding the government and fined $20. Through all the indignity that followed Viola Desmond helped to raise the awareness of the reality of segregation in Canada through her suffering – her unjust suffering.

I would like to suggest that Viola Desmond, precisely because of the unjust suffering she endured, helped free others from suffering. Just think of the many in my generation and today’s young people who are not as shackled to racism as was Viola. Her unjust suffering enabled the freedom of others from victimization. It is not perfect but it helped.

Jesus of Nazareth was innocent. He suffered unjustly. Christian theology has argued since the first century that His suffering, the only innocent human being who ever lived, enabled the freedom of all from the shackles of sin, guilt, shame and fear. He did something that no one else, no saint, no social action, no disciple can do. His innocent suffering saved us all.

The law cannot contain the explosive power of true justice.

Every once in a while we get a glimpse of the power of unjust suffering, just as we did in 1946 with Viola Desmond and just as we are now as children of God carry placards decrying the unjust treatment of a woman by Sobeys. The law cannot contain the explosive power of true justice.

Let us pray for justice.

Let us act with justice.

Always.