Today, I want to discuss MAiD, IVF, surrogacy, contraception, Uber Eats, Amazon Prime, GLP-1 drugs, SSRIs, alcohol, ChatGPT, and other cultural ‘norms.’ You might ask what MAiD, Amazon Prime, and all the different items mentioned have in common. The answer is simple.
I want what I want when I want it.
- I want to look a certain way without too much sacrifice (Ozempic/GLP-1)
- I want to sound/write/express/understand my feelings a certain way (ChatGPT)
- I want a specific type of food at a specific time (Uber Eats)
- I want to feel a certain way – artificially (alcohol, or other recreational drug of choice)
- I want to feel calm, up, down, or numb (prescription drug of choice)
- I want a consumer product within a specific timeframe while exerting the least amount of effort (Amazon Prime)
- I want to have sex but no baby/responsibility (contraception)
- I want to have an orgasm, but I don’t have a spouse or don’t want a spouse (pornography)
- I want to die at a specific time in a particular manner (MAiD)
- I want to have a baby by a specific time (IVF)
- I want to have/order a particular type of child (embryonic banks)
- Because I cannot carry my own child, I will pay for someone to carry it for me (surrogacy).
This isn’t an exhaustive list of how our culture is starting to decay; it’s only the beginning. All of the points mentioned share a common theme: I Don’t Want to Suffer.
Why, when, and how has our society become so allergic to the idea of suffering?
Please take a second to pause and think of the last time you went through a pretty hard time where you endured suffering that was quite intense. Now ask yourself.
“Was there any good that came out of that?”
Don’t answer that question too quickly, because if you do, the answer might be no. And even if the answer is no at this very moment, give it a year or two or five or ten and then ask yourself that same question again.
When you look deeply into yourself and do some genuine soul searching, I’m confident you’ll realize you’ve learned something significant—maybe a life lesson— or that it revealed your resilience, brought you back to church and prayer, made you cherish your loved ones more, or caused you to pause and appreciate the roses for the first time.
For me, the most important aspect of suffering is that I can offer it up to God in reparation for the souls that have no one to pray for them. By offering my suffering, I join in the suffering that Christ endured for us, which brings me closer to God because I am suffering with Him – even if it is only a tiny fraction of the suffering He bore, it remains suffering. I find great comfort in that.
Everyone’s story about suffering is different and highly personal, and because of that alone, it is sacred. For all of you who have suffered greatly and are currently suffering, I have compassion for you, and I greatly admire you.
I don’t want to offend you regarding what I wrote above; I only seek to bring the truth to you.
We as a society do not want to suffer – period.
If you want to delve into this topic even deeper, don’t forget to listen to my latest episode of the Luella Jonk Show.
Next week, I will explain why I am ‘Breaking up With ChatGPT’ and why I think you should too.
Stay tuned and stay strong.