What Kind of Pain?

One common denominator among humans seems to be pain. Be it physical, mental, relational, or emotional, we are born in pain and often exit this life with some degree of pain. And in between, many things hurt. Pain indicates something. Sometimes it is a warning--stop and move your hand away from the hot stove immediately. Sometimes it is a recollection of past loss or longing. Sometimes it is the result of working hard. (One of my future sons-in-law did a very active project over the weekend and is experiencing the pain of long-dormant muscles as I write.)

Yesterday's afternoon run was pretty good. Outside, shorts and a long-sleeved shirt, ice off the paths around town, very little wind. All in all an ideal Minnesota late-winter experience. Yet about 3.7 miles in, I found myself noticing some pains and doing a quick assessment. Most of the running literature that I have read distinguishes between a dull ache, which is either the body recovering or some low grade injury to just work through; and a sharp pain, which means to pay attention and see what just happened. Usually I keep running through the dull aches--just part of being almost 50. But the sharp, sudden onset pains are the ones that I need to pay attention to. Did I just step in a hole? Did I pick up a rock in my shoe? Am I breaking something? Yesterday's fell squarely in the dull ache category, so I kept going. But I think that pain can be a barometer of deeper things.

The author of my Lenten reading this morning pointed to the role of pain in repentance. Edna Hong wrote, "The purpose of Lent is to arouse. Tom arouse the sense of sin. To arouse the sense of guilt for sin. To arouse the humble contrition for the guilt of sin that makes forgiveness possible." She goes on to write, "[A] guilty, suffering spirit is more open to grace than an apathetic or smug soul." In other words, pain in the soul paves the way for grace and forgiveness.

In a way, physical pain is a necessary result of getting physically stronger. Working the muscles, running more, produces the pain of recovery. But it is a good pain. To avoid the pain means to give up the benefits of recovery and growth. While I would rather not jump into the lake of pain, I can embrace the good pain and recognize it for what it is.

Pressing on,

-Ken