As the pioneer of human...
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As the pioneer of human salvation, Jesus must share all the conditions of humanity, including suffering. Yet it is difficult for us to imagine that Jesus could have really had any sense of what it means to be human: trying to do one's best yet it never seems to make any difference; losses of all sorts; confusion over values and decisions. Yet he triumphed through suffering. Through suffering, everything is within his control. The acceptance of the reality of suffering seems to be the beginning of true life -- it cannot be escaped or ignored, and those who voluntarily accept it for the sake of others are those who truly triumph. There is a story that tells of a Zen master who, when a young woman of the village was discovered to be pregnant, was named as the father. When the child was born, the girl's parents took the baby to him, saying, "Here -- this is your responsibility. Care for it." He took the child from them, saying simply, "Is that so?" He cared for the child for several years, until the girl finally told the truth. The parents returned to him, apologizing for their error and asking for the child back. He handed the child over to them, saying simply, "Is that so?" -- Johnson-Hoy
