Thomas meets Julian

Thomas meets with Julian - Hello again Julian, it is good to be here. - You too Thomas…. Always good to see you…. What bring you here today? - The usual….. Although that could be seen as diminishing the significance of what troubles me and its impact on me. - Go on. - Well, I have several dear friends with significant and life changing health issues. It seems mean and unfair. They are all good decent people who deserve better. - Hmm. - Please don’t tell me it’s God’s will that they should suffer. - I wont and I don’t believe that is the case…. However- - However? - Yes, however…. However, we might understand this suffering, what it does invite is love and tenderness from those around them…. And dare I say it?.... Yes, I do, love and tenderness towards themselves. - Wow! - Yes, wow… Suffering is finite. It ends so yhe important point is the journeying and what we can learn from it. - Oh no Julian that is tough, really tough. And I can only accept that from you as I know you have suffered. - True but this is not about me. - OK and it is not about me or rather not just about me… Even though it can be heart breaking to witness my friends’ suffering. Julian nods. - Rather than being theologically clever about this – Heaven forbid. - Thomas smiles – Heaven forbid. - How about how a pearl is formed when an oyster swallows some grit. So maybe pearls develop over time inside us as we suffer. - Hmmm, I quite like that. - Me too.