Buddha broadly defined suffering as not getting what one wants.
In a consumer culture, this has led to a culture of suffering. When we hope to receive what we do not, we suffer. Sadly, it is our desire to have what we do not need that causes others suffering too.
When Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God, he was refering to both a present reality and a future hope. Amidst the suffering we feel when the Kingdom of God is not experienced in our lives and our hope for an eternal life free from suffering, we live; suffering and hoping.
Engaging this reality is the Christian task.
