Suffering
I am acutely aware that people will be interested in the issue of suffering. I am writing these comments exactly seven days after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. As a Christian and a church leader I often grapple internally with this issue. Please do not read the comments below "looking for a fight" or with the eye of an "examiner". My desire is that the remarks I make help people who have suffered see that God is neither distant, uninvolved, disinterested, callous or unaware of the pain that we experience in this life. Tragic events like those unfolding in Haiti highhlight the extent of suffering in the world, the fragile nature of our lives and our infrastructure. It also provides an audience for the worst of human nature (e.g. looting and hoarding of aid) and the best of human nature (e.g. love, compassion and sacrifice).
Why does God allow suffering?
Why does God allow suffering? Whilst I am in danger of sounding like a politician, I would like to ask whether this is the right question to begin with? Perhaps it should be what does God say about suffering? The original question may be disclosing an important assumption attached to it - if God can allow it, then presumably he is able to do something about it. If he is powerful enough to prevent it, and yet allows it, it seems credible that he is wise enough to have a good reason for allowing suffering to continue at this present time. But if you hold the opposing idea - that he is not powerful enough to prevent suffering, then the original question is definitely not the correct one! In either case, perhaps the fairer question (I might touch on justice and fairness later!!) would be to ask God the second question - what does he say about suffering? The respected author C S Lewis wisely observed that if you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair. All of us have suffered (despite the lack of a universal definition), and all of us agree that some suffer more than others. He went on to say that God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. Whilst I have publicly spoken on suffering, my desire here is not to 'nip this issue in the bud', but rather 'open a door' for you to talk further about it with God himself. God is not silent! The Bible (God's letter to a broken world) is very honest about acknowledging suffering of the worst kind. Read the book of Job and the book of Psalms. The apex of the Bible is the murder of an innocent Jesus Christ, God's own Son. But the Bible finishes with a powerful artistic description of a future hope where there is no more death, pain, suffering and tears. I am confident that if you allow the God of the Bible (Old and New Testament) to fully present His case, you will find that His actions are justified and words will prevail against any wisdom of man. God is not indifferent to the pain of this world (and your own pain, heartache, suffering or need), but he has offered the most powerful explanation, solution and hope through the pain and suffering of Jesus Christ. 9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John (New Living Translation)
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Suffering |