INK ARIA

IN SEARCH OF DISCOMFORT

Renee Gehman

"Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an easy button for life?" So the question is posed in a Staples commercial. In 30 seconds, the ad presents various overwhelmed people in challenging situations, including a boy who does not know the answer to a teacher’s question, a father faced with the soiled diapers of infant twins, and a surgeon performing an unusual operation. In each case, the task is mastered with the simple touch of a large red "easy button," and all live happily ever after.

A bit ridiculous, yes, but it is precisely this "quick fix" that our culture strives for in every aspect of life. For the sluggish exerciser there is now "Six-Second Abs," which claims to be 15 times more effective than a standard abdominal routine. For the weary-handed in the kitchen, we have the Eggstractor, a device that effortlessly pops shells off hard-boiled eggs. Clap-on lamps, diet pills, instant mashed potatoes, and Cliff’s Notes are all products created solely to provide an easy means to a wanted end.

My aim is not to establish myself as anti-progressive; in fact, I heartily embrace such helpful inventions as the drive-through car wash, just-add-water recipes, and ice-melting spray for windshields. My concern, though, is that in this continual development of comfortable alternatives, we are missing out on the value of discomfort.

If anyone knows discomfort, it is my friend Prashan. He currently attends Gordon College, but he grew up in Sri Lanka and was home for Christmas when the tsunami hit. In Sri Lanka, only one percent of the population is Christian (60 percent are Buddhist and the rest are mostly Hindu or Muslim). As the son of a pastor who started a church-planting movement, Prashan has experienced a life of persecution in which churches have been burnt down and pastors beaten or killed. Even as the Christian population grows, so does the hostility toward Christians.

"The church is not the place to be if you are not really committed to the Lord," says Prashan. "Coming to the church itself is going against a lot of people. Your life is on the line."

Between struggling against religious persecution, an unstable government, and now the devastation of the land, people, and economy of his country, Prashan has not led a comfortable life. No "easy buttons" were offered to him. No quick fixes.

But having been in America for almost a year now, Prashan shows little regret for the difficulties he has faced. In America "people have the privilege of living a Christian life without hindrances or persecution, most of the time," he says. "But that, I fear, is a disadvantage to people here, because it makes it easier for them to lose the intensity of their relationship with the Lord. I am grateful that, even though our country has to go through some difficult times—and due to its Christian commitments the church has to go through difficult times—the people’s faith in God is real."

So I think about my own faith, and I wonder if I may be relying on easy buttons. I was raised Mennonite as part of a community in which most others were also Mennonite. I go to church on Sundays; there my participation is mostly as a spectator. I read the Bible and do devotional journaling as often as I remember to fit it into my schedule. And I can count my non-Christian friends on one hand.

In fact the uncomfortable, difficult situations have stirred most of my spiritual growth. A prime example: When I came to Gordon College, no one really knew what a Mennonite was. I had never really been in a situation in which I had to explain my beliefs. Suddenly people were basing their entire perception of "Mennonite" on how I explained it.

This was not a responsibility I was comfortable accepting! But I saw no easy way out, and so for the first time in my life I found myself seeking out information on Mennonite history and the contemporary Mennonite church. In facing an uncomfortable situation head-on, I improved my ability to articulate my beliefs. This has been valuable for me as well as for my peers—who previously associated Mennonites with anything from Mormons to Jehovah’s Witnesses to the black Amish. All I needed to prompt this development in my spiritual life was to step outside of my comfort zone, where life had been easy.

So while my friend Prashan has been an inspiration for me, I recognize that it is not necessary for me to pack my bags, head off to a country where Christians are persecuted, and develop a circle of Buddhist friends. Something as small as sharing a cup of tea and chatting with a friend whose perspectives differ from mine can be of great value. The point is to be cognizant of when we may be relying too heavily on "easy buttons," whether in our spiritual lives, the work environment, or in any other area.

The people in the Staples commercial were comfortable—but had learned nothing. There was no permanent gain. To grow, we must compel ourselves to accept the discomfort of growing pains. Because there is value in knowing how to change your baby’s diapers. There is value in hard work. And there is value in recognizing that to live in hiding from discomforting challenges is to experience an illusory and impermanent "happily ever after."

—Renee Gehman, Souderton, Pennsylvania, is a junior at Gordon College in Massachusetts and assistant editor, DreamSeeker Magazine.