Why does God allow suffering? Pieces of the answer…

 

I’ve said before that I can’t pretend to know all of the answer; instead, I find that answers come in bits and pieces.  Large pieces that I think I can truly begin to understand are these:

Suffering spurs us to action

Suffering is a catalyst for change.

Suffering can break us out of our self-centeredness.

Suffering breaks down walls we’ve built to separate us.

Suffering can lead to faith.

Suffering done well can lead to joy.

Suffering  leads to people forming human chains to pull someone out of a rushing river.  It’s stranger helping stranger even in a hail of bullets.  Suffering  empties wallets and purses of hoarded money, frees it up to buy food, water, shelter for those who have none.  Crisis and tragedy somehow crack open our self-centeredness and we begin to reach out.  We hurt when others hurt.  We laugh when others laugh.  And in bearing the burden together, our tears and laughter become stronger than the evil that caused the pain.

Is suffering easy?  Is it fair? No.  The suffering of the innocent sparks the greatest outrage.  But maybe, that is when we have the most opportunity to be like God, taking on a righteousness that will strike hard against evil.