On Being Weak

There is a saying, originating Levor tells me, from Nietzsche. It goes: "That which does not kill us makes us stronger". It took me years of using this saying and applying it to life to work out that it is wrong. Not only is it wrong, it presents a view of the world which is destructive.

It's wrong because some things are really hard and actually make us weak. When we lose people who give us strength and courage and remind us of who we are, we are made weaker. Merely surviving the loss does not make us stronger. When we go through something really hard, it can make us stronger in some ways and leave us shaken and weak in others. Life is not so simple that everything that hurts us (but doesn't kill us) puts wind in our sails in some way.

And the view of the world it presents is upside down. We don't have value because we are strong. If we are rendered weak by the circumstances in our lives, we aren't less as people. We might feel hollowed out, and we might be able to do less, but life is not about our productivity or our independence. Life is about our relationships and what we give to each other, and we don't need to be strong to love those around us and do good to them.

Nietzsche I believe died of syphilis. Prior to his demise his sister made money from 'showing him' to others - her raving, pitiful brother, who was no stronger from having met a disease which did ultimately kill him. Ironic for a man who despised pity as a weakness.

And those of us who know Jesus, know his goodness is demonstrated by his pity for those of us who are weak and pitiful: that is one of the things we love about him. Not that he makes us strong but lends us his strength and encourages us in our weakness, showing us what love looks like so we can love those around us like this and not despise their weakness. It is a great freedom to be able to confess our weakness and yet have meaning and strength outside of ourselves.