By Jason Hartwig
Does anyone remember this jingle & slogan from the “Medipren” commercials in the 1980’s? If you don’t remember, its okay I had to look it up. Medipren was an ibuprofen product made by Tylenol. You can find a series of commercials on YouTube, all with the same theme and imagery. People on-the-go and so busy so they don’t have time for any pain to slow them down. One commercial even said, “for relief of body pain or any kind of pain.” Really? Any kind?
As human beings, we don’t like pain. We routinely want and expect a quick fix. Sometimes it’s a pill, or a drink or buying something new. We often hop carelessly from one vice to the next, covering up the pain before we really feel it. We cover it up and just keep going. After all we don’t have time, we are busy, right?
But what about other people’s pain? Our kids, our parents, our friends, our neighbors, etc. If we don’t have time for our own pain… are we in tune with anyone else’s pain? Social media can provide a skewed sense reality. Sometimes the pain people are sharing can be masqueraded or subdued. Our tendency is to respond with superficial responses. Three letter acronyms, emojis and clichés like “keep your chin up” are regurgitated mechanically by fingers just before clicking ‘send’. Are we really seeking to understand and help?
The truth is, we all have pain and at times we can’t make it go away instantly. God puts us in positions which can make us uncomfortable. Often have to “go through” the pain so we might be made stronger. Grapes are crushed so they me made into wine. Wheat is ground so it might be turned into bread.
As we continue to celebrate Easter, remember the pain that Christ endured for each of us. Not only did Jesus experience excruciating physical pain, he felt the crushing weight of being separated from God himself. This is a pain we never have to experience, because through Jesus we are reconciled with God.
Medipren might have been a great choice in the 80’s for temporary pain, but Jesus is the ultimate pain reliever! I would argue Christ is… “for relief of body pain or any kind of pain.”