Our own age continues to ask the question that has been around for “ages” – How can God allow a good and innocent person to suffer? It is certainly true that many good people suffer greatly in this life, but what are we to do with that “mystery?” Can suffering be a test of our faithfulness? Is it possible for the human mind to grasp fully the thoughts of God and to understand why things happen the way they do? “Mysteries” like suffering very much remain a source of great puzzlement and contention…but they always have.
Over time, many have tried to solve the problem of suffering or any other “mystery” by removing God from the picture altogether. But that does not solve the problem, nor does it take away the pain. If there is no God, if we convince ourselves that all that happens in life is simply the result of chance, where does that leave us? In a world of pure chance there can be no absolute truth or falsehood, no objective right or wrong. Things just happen in a totally mechanical way.
Taking away God, again, does not solve the problem. Somehow, the answer is only to be found in a God who is full of love and compassion, in a God who allows His own innocent Son to suffer terribly and die in agony. Somehow, the answer has to be found there in the Suffering Jesus.
Many have discovered that the way forward is not the removal of their pain, but in being able, together with Jesus, to go through it. Clearly, pain can destroy, but it can also heal.
“Lord, by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free. You are the Savior of the world. Amen.”
