Letter to a suffering saint
Dear friend and fellow sojourner,
It is in circumstances such as what you are presently experiencing that makes it difficult to believe in the goodness of God. Indeed this question is one that every era in human history has sought to answer. In writing this letter I do not pretend to possess the consummate answer to life’s most difficult question – lest, like Job’s ‘friends’, God denounce me (Job 42:7–8). I do, however, seek to cause you to hope for a day when all suffering will be eradicated, all wounds will be healed, and all wrongs will be made right (Rev 21:3-5). For this is the only cure for the pain behind this question. Soon, Christ will return to restore all things and put an end to every wicked thing. Still, why does an omnipotent and good God allow for so much evil such as instances of extreme pain, the suffering of innocent people, physical deformities, natural catastrophes, etc.?
The truth is that all answers simply do not soothe the pain caused by people’s wrongful acts (murder, rape, etc.) and/ or negative character traits (greed, hate, etc.) Even more difficult is understanding why there is so much physical anguish that stems from impersonal forces such as death from natural disasters and cancer. It seems that neither moral nor natural evil should exist because our merciful and kind God is in control. These moments demand explanations for our hearts to be at rest, which many offer but none can satisfy. Most conclusions either blame God, condemn the afflicted, or cast judgment on others – all of which are usually erroneous, embitter the heart, and leave the wounds to fester. To be angry with God is folly and to blame the victim is cruel because many innocents suffer for reasons beyond our understanding. Breathing hateful anger on others to avenge for harm done does not heal the wound that was caused, it simply propagates the same stuff of evil. Whatever conclusions we can come up with do not deliver on their promise to regain something of what has been lost.
Suffering is always hard, death is never ok, and innocent pain is just inexplicable; evil simply sucks. Though we know that the origin of human suffering lies with our primordial parents agreeing with the serpent’s rebellion against God, it still does not explain the present affliction. It is true that the curse of death, pain, and suffering was introduced by the collective disobedience humanity has participated in, but why does it continue? Does not our perfectly good and omniscient God know how to purge evil? Indeed he does! Then we ask: if God’s very nature demands that He purges evil, why hasn’t he? Well, he has…ish. Herein lies the already/not-yet mystery. Christ has indeed inaugurated his kingdom by which we can experience peace, regeneration, divine power, and defiance against this present and evil age. His resurrection granted us a power and authority that are presently accessible to push back evil through prayer, righteousness, and faith. Yet, even Lazarus, who was raised from the grave by Jesus’ command, died again. Moreover, good people continue to suffer for no apparent reason.
We see hints and whispers of Christ’s rule, but we eagerly wait for him to appear in fullness defeating all evil, even death (1 Cor 15:20-26). Our hope must not be in a happier present life free from loss and pain - If our hope in Christ is for this life alone, we are to be pitied more than all men (1 Cor 15:19). We must find comfort in the pain of longing for his return when he will, once and for all, vanquish evil in its entirety. Though we can experience a level of peace and joy in the midst of the inexplicable hardships of this life, it is nothing compared to the day of when he will wipe away every tear. The only comfort is hope – hope for our resurrection, our adoption, the arrival of Messiah, the wedding day when we will be united with God. Truly, dealing with the existence of evil provokes us, the bride of Christ, to join the Spirit in longing for the return of the King (Rev 22:17). So as you grieve your painful loss, know that all creation groans with you for the ultimate solution to the problem that evil has presented (2 Cor 5:22-25).
The struggle to find a cause to inexplicable suffering is all too familiar to most of us. The book of Job offers us a type of solution to our wrestle but not one that we necessarily want - it introduces the need to embrace mystery. Due to our inability to grapple with the wisdom of God, we simply do not have easy answers. What we do know is that he is good and that he is just. Regardless of how we are afflicted, we must remain anchored in the truth that God sees us and he cares. Suffering does offer an opportunity to search our hearts and mend what is in disarray; however, we will not always find success in that endeavor. God’s ways are higher than ours, but we can remain hopeful that there is a day coming in which there will be no more suffering, no more pain, and no more loss. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Even So, Come, Lord Jesus! –Rev. 22:19
Suffering with you,
Ruben Cervantes Jr
