suffering with others all the way

Daniel L. Migliore, in his insightful (and hard to find) book, Pastor as Prophet, writes:

The passion of God not only motivates us to eliminate whatever suffering can be eliminated; it also empowers us to accompany our brothers and sisters into regions of darkness where suffering can no longer be eliminated; it enables and invites us to share suffering where efforts to overcome it prove futile; it frees us to continue a ministry of compassion and shared grief at the point where those who are guided by criteria of utitlity and success cease their efforts.