HUMAN PAIN AND SUFFERING

THE coronavirus pandemic has affected all sectors of society both good and bad, rich and poor, black and white. Many have lost loved ones, others are left sickly, and there are those who have lost their jobs and livelihoods.

Many are asking why can a loving God allow such pain and suffering? Should we blame God or the devil or us humans? Where is God in the midst of all this?

My heart goes out to all who are experiencing such pain and suffering. There are no easy answers. We live in an imperfect world where there has always been heartbreak, disease, death and war.

There are various instances recorded in the Bible of war, slavery and of people who had experienced severe suffering.

In the Bible, a successful man called Job lost everything he worked for, lost his family and contracted a skin disease. The prophet Daniel was persecuted and thrown into the lion’s den. Joseph was sold into slavery and imprisoned unjustly. Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross, died and rose again.

The God of the Bible does not promise a world without pain or suffering.

He, however, offers comfort and hope of a better life. It tells us that if we reach out to God through Jesus, he is there to support us and give us love, joy and peace amidst the suffering and the darkness around us. Life in this world was never meant to be perfect and permanent. Death is not the end. There is hope and the promise of eternal life after death.

For those who would like to look for answers to why a loving God would allow pain and suffering I recommend a book written by Dr Stephen Critchlow a psychiatrist titled, Finding The Yes In The Mess. There is also a talk on this topic by Professor John Lennox of Oxford titled, ‘Where is God in a coronavirus world’ (https://youtu.be/eIQ0n9ZImLk)