What Tony Soprano Teaches about Suffering

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Tony Soprano, the gangster boss from the TV show 'The Sopranos' meets with his psychiatrist who helps him deal with his anxiety issues. Tony regrets that the guys working for him no longer honor the 'omerta' (code of silence to protect fellow gangsters against the law enforcement). Tony explains,

"now a days, guys do not have the ability to suffer the pain of penal system, instead they turn government witnesses. Can't do business anymore."

The willingness to suffer is a prerequisite for any enterprise to be successful. Pain avoidance is a bad strategy. People who are unwilling to suffer cannot participate in a purpose bigger than them selves. In the case of Tony Soprano, the bigger purpose was Tony's own glory. In the case of the Christian, the bigger purpose is the Kingdom of God.

For the Christian, participation in God's kingdom involves willingness to suffer. It is not suffering for glorification of selfish agenda of individuals. Rather it is suffering that is sharing in the suffering of Christ (Rom 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.). The suffering of Christ was undertaken with a posture of self-giving for the love of the world (John 3:16). The Christian participating in the bigger purpose of God's kingdom ought to be conformed to Christ-like self-giving suffering for the love of the world.