In the 'Advent Day 6' video featuring Richard Rohr and Kate Bowler, they discuss the concept of 'necessary suffering' in the spiritual journey. Richard Rohr, drawing from Carl Jung, suggests that people often find themselves on a spiritual path due to challenging life events such as job loss, illness, addiction, or personal brokenness. Kate Bowler shares her experience of feeling surprised and somewhat insulted by her own suffering, noting how she felt like she had failed somehow. They discuss the shame and stigma attached to suffering in modern culture, where suffering can be misconstrued as a personal failure.
Kate Bowler mentions a quote by the Little Flower about doing small things with great love, a philosophy adopted by Mother Teresa. The discussion revolves around the idea that small acts, done with love and compassion, are spiritually significant, even if they don't seem grand on the surface.
Overall, the conversation focuses on reframing the understanding of suffering in life, recognizing the spiritual significance in small acts of love, and challenging the conventional metrics by which society often measures success and worth.
