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Why Does God Allow Suffering and Evil? |
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A Role-Play Skit Tim: Hey Anna, How’s it going? Anna: Oh, okay… Well, actually something’s kind of bothering me. Tim: Oh I’m sorry Anna. Do you mind my asking what’s going on? Anna: No, not at all. You see, I have a friend who is going through some hard times. His brother was murdered by a random drug dealer in his neighborhood. Now he has asked me a really tough question, “If God is so loving, why does he allow the innocent to suffer from evil?” Tim: I see. Yes, this is one of the really tough questions. Well first, we can share how God’s plan for us can be summarized in just two words: love and freedom. Because God loved us he gave us freedom. According to Genesis 1:31 when God first created the world it was “very good.” Then God gave Adam and Eve the freedom to obey His commandment to live a “very good” life. But Adam chose to disobey God’s protective command. The consequence of that tragic choice was the broken world we now see. What was broken was man’s relationship with God, man’s relationship with people, and even man’s relationship with nature. And sadly, in this kind of world, both the guilty and innocent suffer. Anna: I think that most people know that the world is really broken, but why couldn't God have created better people so they just want to do good? Tim: You mean that God should have constrained our desires so we would love God and love others? Anna: Well, yes, I guess so. Tim: Okay, let's consider what that would look like if someone did that right now? Alicia: What do you mean? Tim: Well, people do try to constrain others to love them today, and we have a word for this. The word is “rape.” When we try to force people to "love" against their free will, we not only destroy freedom, but love. Anna: Okay, so it seems like we can't have a world with freedom and love. Tim: Well no, the Bible does not say that. It simply reveals the fact that with freedom we can and do chose to disobey. But because God’s plan cannot be broken, he sent his Son to restore His creation. So according to Romans chapter 8, the death of Christ on the cross has set us free from the “law of sin and death”, and the resurrection of Christ frees not only our bodies from death and decay, but the entire creation. Finally, in Isaiah chapter 11 we see what life will be like after God restores our broken world to his plan for perfection. It describes the future when a wolf, a lamb, a lion, a snake, and even a child can all live together—in peace. The scripture simply says, “They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isa 11:9). Anna: Well, I think that makes sense to me now. I have been trying to do what I can to help him through this tough time. Now maybe I can offer this way of explaining God’s plan for us. Tim: That’s really wonderful Anna. You are a good example of how we are called to “Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:5). Through you and others, Jesus fulfills his promise that “I will never leave you or forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
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