I was recently approached by someone who was saddened by the tragic death of a young person they knew.  They were struggling to reconcile this with their belief in God, who is loving and powerful.  The recent disasters in the world coincide with this issue.

There is no easy or complete answer, especially in a short article such as this one. We can never fully know the mind of God and why he allows something to take place. There are some things we can understand, though...

After he had created everything, Genesis 1:31 says “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”  I think we can all agree that we cannot say this of the world today, which is different to God’s original plan.  The reason for this is that  humankind has rejected the rule of God, something the Bible calls sin, and this has affected people’s relationships with God, one another, and the environment. It has also resulted in pain, struggle, toil, disease, infirmity, and death.  The created order has also been spoiled, see Romans 8.19-22.

God gives everyone free will.  This is a wonderful thing, but our choices can have consequences.  Just as God lets us make choices, he also lets us reap the consequences of our choices, which can be good or bad.  It could be that some of the extreme climatic conditions that have happened recently are because of humankind’s abuse of the environment.  However, if something bad happens to an individual it doesn’t necessarily mean they have been particularly sinful.  In Luke 13.1-5 Jesus said that those who had been murdered by Pilate, and others who had been killed by a collapsing tower, were no more guilty than anyone else.  He said that the lesson to draw from this is that people should turn back to God before it is too late.

Some people seek to blame God for everything, though they may rarely thank him for the good things! The Bible teaches that every good and perfect gift comes from God and that he wants the best for us. So how does this relate to what happens in our world? In a book called “The Will of God”, Leslie Weatherhead suggested that we distinguish between what God wants ( his intentional will ), what he allows ( his circumstantial will ), and what finally happens ( his ultimate will ).  He acknowledged that, in a sense, all things are within the will of God, but that we must distinguish between what God wants and what he allows.

I think we also need to realise that, whilst God could intervene all the time, if he did this would lead to ( even more ) people acting without considering the consequences. So, God would become a divine magic wand to be waved at every misfortune!  But God gives us free will.

Our son Joshua will be nineteen years old by the time you read this.  We talk about things.  I might give him some advice, and he may not take it. I would say to him that he is an adult and will have to bear the results of his choice. However, I still love him and will always be there for him, whatever he does.  Similarly, God is our loving father and will always be there for us to turn to.

Our free will lets us decide what we will and will not do, and the degree of risk may affect our decision.  Everything carries some risk, and life would be pretty boring if we always played it safe.  The recent earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan were terrible and, thankfully, rare in their magnitude and effect.  My heart goes out to all those affected by these and other, recent, disastrous events.  Set prayers for Japan and New Zealand are to be found in this magazine, so please do not take out of context the following.  The earthquakes themselves were not a surprise because they happened in areas where tectonic plates meet, and there is a history of earthquakes there.  Presumably, those who continue to live in these areas do so because they consider the benefits of living there outweigh the risks, and some measures have been taken to reduce the effect of earthquakes, for example the way buildings are constructed.  People may also have been influenced by the fact that devastating earthquakes such as this are, thankfully, rare.  I am not suggesting suggesting that those who suffer as a result of the earthquakes in an area where the risk is known are to blame in any way for what happened.  Similarly, the Japanese, and many other governments, have decided to use nuclear power, knowing the risks that this poses if the normal process is interrupted, whilst also trying to minimise the chances of a disaster.

Pain and suffering need not necessarily always be bad.  For example, if I cut my hand on a kitchen knife the pain will not be very welcome. However, if I leave my hand on the hot plate when it is turned on, I am very grateful to feel the heat or pain because I can remove it quickly before my hand is severely burned.

Suffering can result in drawing someone closer to God. James ^1:2 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  Suffering and difficulties can result in people seeking God, and relying upon him more than when things are going well. It is when we rely on God that he can show us his love and help us. 

We do not have a God who is remote.  God observes us and cares for every one of us.  He loved the world so much he came to earth as a person, Jesus ( John 3.16 ).  Jesus experienced everything that it means to be a human being, apart from sinning ( Hebrews 4.15 ). This included hunger, thirst, temptation, joy, sadness, anger, rejection, betrayal, suffering, injustice and death. Therefore, he is able to sympathise with us and we can approach him with confidence. One reason that he can do this is that God raised him from the dead and he is alive forevermore with a perfect, glorified, body.  This is the good news of Easter!  Moreover, those who know him can look forward to following him into this resurrection life where “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21.4.

So, there is more to life than what we experience on earth. If we let him, Jesus will walk alongside us as we journey through life, and he will go ahead of us to prepare a place for us, with God, in paradise.

May you know God’s resurrection power in your life this Easter and forever.