October 27, Ordinary 30B (Job 42:1–6, 10–17)
Job passively endures a lot of trauma before he finally speaks directly to God about it. That’s the turning point.
I asked my therapist if she was familiar with the book of Job. She laughed. “Everyone is familiar with the book of Job,” she said.
Job’s theme, the absurdity of suffering and our human quest to grasp its cause and meaning, is certainly universal. Perhaps it should be required reading for anyone tasked with helping people understand and make meaning of their personal suffering—for therapists, spiritual directors, chaplains, and pastors alike.
If only its ending did not skirt explanation, or at least consolation, for those whose lives are not mysteriously restored as Job’s is. The end of the story might be less satisfying without the last eight verses. But if we were to really lean into the authenticity of what human suffering is like for most people, Job could end before this week’s reading, with God’s response to Job questioning the meaning of it all.
