The issue of evil, pain, and suffering are often discussed together as they are intertwined. While evil can certainly cause pain and suffering, it’s important to note that pain and suffering can also arise from natural causes or human error. However, the overarching question remains: If God is loving and all-powerful, why do evil and suffering exist in the world? Where was God in the Nazi concentration camps? Was God there in the Cambodia killing fields? Pain and suffering indeed enter this world because of the fall. The earth is cursed, but surely a loving God will not abandon His creation and let them suffer aimlessly.
Eastern thinking often denies the existence of evil. In their thinking, objective evil does not exist. Evil is the absence of goodness rather than a separate entity or force, just as darkness is the absence of light. People suffer because they are too attached to worldly things, and letting go of those attachments can lead to liberation from suffering. For me, this view is too pessimistic and will not give us an abundant life.
Christians claim that God is in control, things happen for a reason, and something good will come out of evil acts.
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. (John 9:1-3)
During the time of Jesus, the Jews thought physical illness (pain) directly resulted from someone’s sin. Jesus said that his pain happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. Pain and suffering can indeed bring glory to God. Pain and suffering can be a blessing in disguise. For example, after the terrorist attacks on 911, we heard many tragic but uplifting stories: firefighters risking their lives to save people trapped in the World Trade Center; people from all walks of life in New York City came together to help each other. However, we all know that such goodness didn’t last long. Did God allow such evil things to happen to bring out some short-lived goodness? Is it worth the lives of thousands of innocent people? How do we convince non-believers that God is in control and that everything happens for a purpose?
The free will defense is a classical response to the problem of evil, which argues that a world with free will and suffering is preferable to a world where humans are like robots with no capacity for love. According to this view, God desires humans to love and obey Him out of their free will. Free will and suffering come as a packaged deal, and it is impossible to have one without the other. When individuals are granted the ability to make choices, some will inevitably choose poorly, leading to suffering for themselves or others. Ultimately, the price of free will is worth the cost of suffering.
Although this defense is logically consistent, it presents a picture of God far from the personal God who cares deeply for individuals. When individuals are in the midst of suffering, this defense can seem insensitive and unconvincing. Our God is not indifferent to human suffering nor powerless to act. As discussed in the previous post, God is omnipotent, but He chooses to limit Himself to allow humans to have free will. Similarly, He chooses to refrain from immediately fixing all the evil actions of selfish people. Just like He did not strike you dead when you sinned against Him. Actions have consequences, and moral responsibility is essential. If God always intervened to prevent the consequences of people’s actions, there would be no moral accountability. God desires creatures who have freedom and moral responsibility. Without danger or temptation, there can be no courage in decision-making.
Death and suffering are necessary parts of the evolution process. New life cannot emerge without the death of the old one. Seeing our loved ones pass away is painful, but it is a natural process. However, for those who believe in Christ, death is not the end. One day we will rise from the dead on His second coming.
From the feedback control model we discussed in the last post, pain can be viewed as the feedback mechanism that God uses to draw us closer to Him and bring us back to the right path. Pain can also be viewed as God’s alarm system to alert us of danger. Without pain, there is no warning about danger. Children who play with fire and get burned will learn not to play with fire anymore. These consequences can be viewed as teaching moments. In the Artificial Intelligence analogy, to build up the data model, one must feed the machine with a lot of data; you must feed positive and negative data. Pain and suffering can be considered negative examples that help us to build character.
I enjoy endurance biking and often participate in century rides. A century ride is the marathon of the biking world, requiring 100 miles in a single day. The first time I attempted this challenge, I experienced significant muscle pain and struggled to walk properly for several days. However, despite the discomfort, I felt a sense of achievement and knew I would become a stronger cyclist. In the biking community, it’s often said that a good biker is distinguished from a bad one by their ability to tolerate pain. This principle also applies to the Christian life – one’s ability to endure pain reflects their spiritual depth and how well one navigates the faith journey. Building character is a process that requires enduring challenges and hardships, which can strengthen one’s mental fortitude and enable one to exercise their free will in positive ways.
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” – Romans 5:3-5
The Bible often uses the metaphor of pruning a tree to help us understand how suffering can build our character. Pruning is the process of removing impurities and dead growth from a tree to promote its health and growth. During the pandemic, I started home gardening and gained a better appreciation for this metaphor. Sometimes a tree requires significant pruning to become healthy. While it may appear bare and unattractive initially, it will ultimately become more beautiful and healthy. Similarly, God uses suffering to help us become more like Him. It should be noted that pruning is not a punishment from God but rather a sign of His care; your sin and punishment had already been paid for on the cross.
One night I dreamed a dream.
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.
After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
There was only one set of footprints.
This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
“Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
You’d walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me.”
He whispered, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you.”
Footprints in the Sand by Mary Stevenson
Our new model of God’s interaction with the world shows that even though humans have free will, God can still be in control. This interaction is often subtle and not immediately apparent, as Einstein noted when he said, “Subtle is the Lord, but malicious He is not.” It’s important to remember that we only experience the evil and pain that actually occurred and cannot fully comprehend how much suffering God has spared us from. The poem Footprints in the Sand illustrates this concept, as we may feel alone during difficult times, but God is carrying us. In feedback control systems, the path to the destination may not always be smooth, even when the system is stable, and the destination is known. We may still face disappointments and challenges along the way.
How about nature’s evil? One can argue that some natural disasters result from human actions, such as the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. This, in turn, can lead to more frequent and severe natural disasters such as wildfires and intense storms. Therefore, while natural disasters may not be directly caused by human free will, they can be influenced by human behavior and environmental impact.
However, a better way to deal with natural evil is to extend the free will defense to the “free process” defense. God is faithful to the physical world as well as to humans. God allows the ecosystem to follow its course, including movements of tectonic plates that cause earthquakes that kill thousands of humans; viruses to evolve to create diseases like COVID-19, which killed millions of people and caused the world to stand still for over two years.
So how do we comfort those who are suffering? The answer lies in the suffering of God. He didn’t observe our suffering from a distance. One of the Hebrew names of God is El Roi, which means the God who sees me. He sees all our suffering, became man and suffered with us, and knows our pains. The pain Jesus endured was far worse than any of our suffering; He was betrayed by His followers, died on the cross, and separated from God. He is our fellow sufferer, but he is also our comforter. Even amid pain, we can find comfort in knowing God is with us and will never leave us.
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” – Psalm 23:4
He promised that there would be no more tears and suffering in heaven. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” -Rev 21:4
The Psalms often express a recurring theme of the authors bringing their laments to God, expressing their anguish over the suffering of good people and the prosperity of evildoers. Despite this, the authors find comfort and reassurance in turning to God, knowing God will ultimately deliver them from their struggles.
In contrast, Job’s three friends are depicted as putting forward various theories about suffering while showing little empathy for Job’s struggles. This serves as a reminder that we should not become like Job’s friends but approach suffering with compassion and seek comfort and guidance from a higher power.