This used to be one of my biggest obstacles with Christianity - it's still on the list, but I think I've come to terms with it to a certain extent.
How can we claim to have a loving, caring, father-figure God when so many horrible things happen around the world? I've come to terms with this issue on the small-scale, but large-scale suffering still gives me a hard time.
Small-scale: my brother's CP, and lack of progression despite enthusiastic praying as a child, caused me to doubt God. But there are two things that have helped me cope with this issue. First, an answer provided by CFF, is that God allows suffering in our lives as an invitation to seek him out. If we are honest with ourselves we will admit that we are more likely to seek out God in times of tribulation than we are in times of prosperity. So even though we may be suffering - the relationship with God that we seek for as a result of it far outweighs the initial price. I can wrap my head around that and accept it. Throughout my own life I also came to terms with the fact that God puts things in our life as tests - and ultimately, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. We suffer because it makes us stronger in our faith, but also because it shapes us into who we are and makes us stronger individuals. If everything was easy, we wouldn't learn to be self-sufficient. So, small-scale; I get it.
Large-scale: whole other story for me. It's just so hard for me to understand how a loving God could allow natural disasters to kill thousands (Haiti), or for something like a drought to kill innocent children by starvation - all he'd have to do is send a little rain! How about the Holocaust - or genocide in Rwanda? One explanation provided by CFF is that God did not create evil - the fall of Adam and Eve is the cause of it all. So, it's all a result of our own free will - which addresses large-scale suffering like wars I suppose. But still; a father would do all that he could to keep his children from suffering - so when it comes to natural disasters it's hard for me to wrap my head around that explanation. Another approach that CFF takes is the analogy of the bear, the trap and the hunter...basically saying that we only see a fraction of the big picture and that we need to trust that it's all a part of God's plan. But really, what could be the good in large-scale suffering? I guess that speaks to needing to take a big leap of faith...
Ultimately, CFF brings its readers to the conclusion that it is impossible to have free will and to be completely free of evil/suffering. I can understand that - but there is large-scale suffering in the world that is not the result of human choice...so how can that explained?
This is a tough one. Again, I have to point to "The Shack." The main point of the book is about how does a loving God allow us to suffer so greatly... on the way it deals with God as a father figure and the trinity. While it is not really biblically based, I think it does a good job exploring things that many Christians struggle with.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of large scale, and even snall scale suffering, I think each Christian comes to their own peace with this one.
Some think of creation entirely as fallen. That the earth was spoiled by sin and look forward to the day of a new heaven and new earth. Where natural disasters, disease and war don't happen.
Others can point to man's action and say that though there are natural causes of suffering -- our evil is what makes it so bad. The earthquake in haiti was bad cause the people didn't have good houses. That's cause they are poor. That's cause there is systematic political forces that reinforce poverty. So, again, our free will causes human suffering.
For me, I think my peace with the issue comes from God's desire for love and to teach us love. If we see life as longer than the bookends of our physical time on earth, we see a picture of triumph of love. Suffering works in us to cause us to act out of love. We are drawn to love those who suffer. Those who suffer are drawn to God. And, through love, we overcome suffering.
More to write but Eddie's getting figidity.Can you sign me up for email updates so I get new posts and comments by email...