Tatyana lives in post communist Moldova, a country still experiencing the aftermath of the cruel regime,  twenty years later. Tatyana is a middle aged woman, although her rough hands and tight wrinkles lining her eyes and round face declare otherwise. Tatyana bears deep scars on the palms of her tiny hands. She always carries with her, kind eyes; the kind of eyes that reveal that she holds within her many layers of experiences and wisdom. Tatyana is a member of the persecuted church. The scars from her hands were caused by smoothing cement barehanded while communist soldiers looked on in mockery. Tatyana and her friends were building a church in 1985. They were given permission by the Soviets to build the church so long as they didn’t use any building equipment.

I had the privilege of being with Tatyana in 2005 on the 20th anniversary of the building of this church. It is a beautiful church. About 200 others were there that day. They were the people who had built that church alongside Tatyana and who bore scars of their own to prove it.

These people were heavily persecuted during this time. They were tortured, separated from loved ones and dispersed to foreign lands. Tatyana remained in Moldova during the heaviest times of persecution. What I saw in Tatyana and in her scars and what I saw in those who had gathered from near and far for the reunion, was not the pain that they had once endured, rather, I witnessed an overwhelming, incredible, indescribable joy.

I asked Tatyana about her regrets later that evening. She told me she had none. I asked her if communism were to re enter Moldova again would she flee. She smiled and told me the most joyful times in her life were also the most painful. She would endure the torture and the pain all over again if it meant bringing her that type of joy.

In my experiences traveling to developing countries and spending time with the oppressed, I have seen this joy despite age, culture and location. I do not seek to glamorize poverty in any way and yet, I cannot help but be intrigued by the fact that the most joyful people I have met are those who have experienced or are experiencing incredible amounts of pain and suffering. 

It’s as if those who have much are less satisfied than those who have little. The empty are filled. The weak are made strong. The poor become rich.  So what happens where joy and pain collide?

Consider John 16:20-22 for a moment.

I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

And also check out Paul’s letter to the Colossians.

Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of the body, which is the church.

The scriptures are full of similar passages regarding suffering and pain and how joy is associated.

There are Coptic Christians living in a garbage dump outside Cairo. The Zabbaleen (garbage people), worship together on Sunday mornings at the Cave Cathedral. Over 20,000 suffering Coptic Christians attend church every Sunday, making this cathedral the largest Christian church in the Middle East. Joy and pain are colliding in that place.

When Jesus came to Earth he brought Heaven with him. He brought on a collision between pain and joy. He turned earth upside down and set up his kingdom on it. Check out the Beatitudes here:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Notice the tenses in place for the beatitudes dealing with the Kingdom. All other beatitudes are in the future tense, ‘they will.’ Yet the one dealing with the poor in spirit and the persecuted are in the present tense, ‘theirs is.’ Heaven has collided with Earth and this is where Joy and Pain collide. I saw it in Tatyana, I’ve read about it in the Zabbaleen people and I’ve experienced a bit of it here in Ca. in my own life. Where our fleshly bodies experience pain, our emotional and spiritual self experience joy. Only a God who exists of pure love is capable of allowing us joy in a pain filled world. In our present state we may and I'm sure many of us do, experience joy in the midst of pain. 

So what do you make of this phenomenon of joy and pain colliding? Have they collided for you? I’m learning a lot about this paradigm shift and I’m eager to know your thoughts on it as well. As Christians, do you believe we have to suffer in order to find joy? What question arise in your mind on this? Ajith Fernando has a great little book on the concept. If you’re interested, check it out.