I worked at a video rental store for five years. In that time, I met all of our regular customers. One of our regulars was a man named Paul.
Whenever Paul would come in, I knew it would be bad. He’d spend hours in the store talking. That’s great because I love talking with people, but he talked so much, whoever would be working on the days he’d come in would fall behind in their work. This happened just about every week. The man either loved to talk, or he hated being at home. We never figured out which.
The topics he would always choose to talk to me about were ones that never really struck my fancy. He talked a lot about guns and his time in the FDA, as well as his time as a marine. As a Christian peacemaker and a revolutionist, opposed to government, I tried to stray from putting in my opinion. He was very headstrong and always spoke what was on his mind, and frankly, I didn’t want to create a conflict of interest situation. I mainly just smiled and nodded.
One day, he asked what I was in school for. I told him “Youth Ministries”.
“Oh, so you want to be a minister, huh?”
“Yes, sir.” I said.
His reaction was heartbreaking.
“You know… I don’t know what to believe about God. They say He’s all knowing and all loving, but when bad things happen to innocent people, no one can give a good answer as to where God is in that situation.”
I nodded in agreement while listening.
“My eight year old daughter became very sick… and in a matter of weeks, she died. Now tell me, where was God when she was suffering? Was she suffering for a purpose? And what kind of sick God would make such a young girl suffer and die at such a young age? I asked my priest. He couldn’t answer. I asked pastor after pastor and they couldn’t answer. I decided to walk away from Church. I don’t know if there is a good answer, but if there is, I haven’t found it yet. Why such a little girl? What could she have done that caused God to want to take her life? No eight year old girl should go though that. And you know what, no father should have to hold his eight year old girl as she takes her last breath.”
He began to mellow a bit.
“I do believe in God. These men who claim to represent God… they don’t know what it’s like to lose a daughter. And if they can’t explain why God would want my daughter’s life, why should I trust the direction they are sending me?”
Sometimes, the phrase “The Lord works in mysterious ways” just isn’t enough.
The problem of suffering and evil has driven many people away from the church. They want to believe in God. They want to go back to Church. But how can they trust God? Why do these bad things happen?
So what about suffering and evil? Are these things God’s fault? Are they part of God’s plan? Surely, God weeps when eight year old girls get sick and die.
I think in situations like these, we have to remember that God, although all powerful, is not in full control. He doesn’t choose when someone will get sick, when someone will die, when someone will be kidnapped, when someone will get murdered, when someone will get raped, etc. He’s relinquished some of his control. We are subject to our natural world and all of it’s acts of nature. We are also under our own control and are subject to others and their actions. At the same time, we can’t altogether rule out the metaphysical aspect, as well. The principalities and powers that come to tempt us and harm us play a role in some of the suffering and evil that goes on in this world.
Does God let bad things happen? Yes. God gave up full control because giving up full control shows that he really loves us.
Does God cause bad things to happen? No. He gave up full control and gave us free wills. We are also subject to nature. The demonic also plays a part in suffering and evil.
I don’t know if this answer would have been good enough for Paul. Maybe he’ll come to this conclusion in time. I hope he does.
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