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Opening and Friction Fire Demonstration

(Start video while working on the friction fire) I'm working on a friction fire. The way this works is that you rub two sticks together as fast as possible, and the friction between them hopefully creates small hot embers that you can use to light tinder and grow a bigger fire.
This process reminds me of a scene I saw on TV where a man playing Jesus was starting this same kind of fire. That scene stopped me in my tracks because I realized—Jesus must have actually done this.

Reflection on Jesus' Humility and Suffering

Here is the Savior of the world. The Prince of Peace. The Creator of heaven and earth. The stars in the galaxy bow down to Him in submission. The mountains crumble before Him.
Yet, Jesus—despite His power and majesty—did not feel entitled. He suffered through the human experience as an infant, a child, a teenager. He didn’t coast into adulthood and then begin to suffer. His entire life had purpose, including those moments we may not even know about.
If God had a purpose for His Son to struggle and suffer, even in seemingly insignificant ways, then maybe your suffering is not in vain either.

Understanding Suffering

It’s easy to dismiss someone’s suffering because it seems small or insignificant. But Viktor Frankl, in his book Man's Search for Meaning, taught that all suffering is relative. He describes how, in concentration camps, malnourished prisoners could no longer climb a single 6-inch step without falling to their hands and knees.
If Frankl didn’t dismiss the suffering of others, why should we? Each person’s pain is significant to them at that moment.
Think about the questions we might ask: What happened to bring someone to such a weak state that they can’t even hold their body up? Or on the other hand, What has allowed someone to carry immense weight through suffering?

Jesus' Compassion Versus Our Callousness

Jesus didn’t use His power to escape His suffering or even ease His own pain. Instead, He used it to alleviate the suffering of others.
For example, it’s likely that His father, Joseph, died during Jesus’ life. Did Jesus not weep at his death? He had the power to raise the dead, yet He did not intervene for His own comfort. Meanwhile, we often use our power to help ourselves first, forgetting others.
I’ve been guilty of this—of being callous to the suffering of others. Recently, I’ve been made painfully aware of the hidden struggles of people all around me. Every person you pass is carrying a burden you can’t see.

Compassion and Suffering

It’s hard to have compassion when you’re suffering yourself. In concentration camps, Frankl observed that prisoners became numb to the suffering around them. Malnourishment, beatings, and constant horrors left them unable to feel remorse or empathy.
But when we are healthy—physically, mentally, and spiritually—we are better equipped to care for and help others.

A Purpose for Suffering

In the end, will I get this fire started? Maybe, maybe not. Right now, it’s not so important. But if I—or someone I loved—were freezing to death, it would become critically important.
What matters is the purpose of struggles and suffering. Sometimes, suffering prepares us to bear burdens for others in the future. The weight of glory being produced in us through suffering has eternal significance.

Closing Prayer

Lord, I pray for those who are watching. Thank You, Lord, for setting a perfect example for us through Your life. You suffered without complaint and praised the Father through it all.
Help us call out for strength on a daily basis. Bear our burdens when we can no longer carry them, so that we can bear burdens for others in the future.
Bless us to suffer well as You did. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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