Dear Editor: “Why is there suffering in the world if God exists?”

“[…] I insist that God is good. I insist. However, a lack of understanding regarding how He works results in Him getting a bad rap.

“[…] I would like to advance that there is logic to God, that there is more to life than meets the eye, and that there is a spiritual aspect to this life …”

The following Letter to the Editor on the existence of God amid the world’s suffering was submitted to Wired868 by Akilah Holder:

The content of this letter is taken from a book I wrote several years ago, Apart from Me, You Can Do Nothing: A Spiritual Explanation for the Origin of Mankind.

I have modified the content a bit for the sake of this letter. I have chosen to do this piece because of the many questions that many have in this nation, undoubtedly regarding the existence and the ways of God in light of the climbing crime rate, the murders, in particular.

I have no doubt, you see, that depressing times like these have caused many to pose the following questions: “Why is God allowing all this suffering?” “How does evil exist if a good God exists?” “If God is everywhere, then why doesn’t He stop crime everywhere?”

I insist that God is good. I insist. However, a lack of understanding regarding how He works results in Him getting a bad rap.

I would like to advance that there is logic to God, that there is more to life than meets the eye, and that there is a spiritual aspect to this life.

Consider that there is a divine order to how things work in this world and, so, some type of interaction between the spirit world and the physical one. Therefore, in the same way that there are scientific laws that govern science, like the Newtonian laws of motion and gravity, so there is a divine spiritual law that governs this world. In other words, mankind’s relationship with God may also be examined as one of cause and effect.

In fact, John 15:1-5 gives us some insight into mankind’s relationship with God.  It states, “‘I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing…” (New King James Version)

In other words, anything mankind does outside of a personal relationship with God will fail.

Put another way, we have a vertical relationship with God, and a horizontal relationship with man.  Therefore, when we have a good relationship with God— characterized by spending time with Him (praying, bible study and worship) and allowing Him to guide you by his word and Holy Spirit—our lives are better.

It follows then, that when bad things happen, it is usually a reflection of our relationship with God.  For instance, most people don’t know this about God, but He is the great reactor.

Psalm 18:25-26 confirms this: “To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to those with integrity you show integrity. To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.” (NLT version)

So, if you make time for Him, and do what is right according to His word, He will safeguard you from suffering as far as is possible. As far as is possible because if we had obeyed Him from the inception, there’d be no suffering.

But this world has put a lot of distance between itself and God, so for those who trust in Him, suffering will be to a lesser degree.

So it isn’t that God is bad; it’s just that too many ignore Him.  For emphasis, Christian apologist Norman Geisler, in a lecture he gave at the Brooklyn Tabernacle years ago on The Problem of Evil, proffered that it is mankind’s free will that is the cause of suffering in the world.

He suggested that a good God would give the good gift of freedom, and that is why He gave human beings free will. Unfortunately, we made the wrong choice with our free will, and now we’re paying for it. This also explains the presence of evil in the world in spite of the existence of a good God.

My previous points lead to the last one: if God is everywhere, why does He not stop suffering everywhere? So, we’ve covered the fact that God is the great reactor and that man’s free will has led to the existence of evil in a world where a good God exists.

The last and interrelated point is the difference between God’s presence and His manifest presence. You can be present in a classroom, and not participate in the classroom discussion. It doesn’t mean you are not there; it just means you’re not participating.

Or, let’s say every member of your immediate family is at home, but you are in your bedroom resting, and the others are outside watching a movie. Does that mean you’re not there, in the house? No. It just means that you’re not involved in the activity, so because your presence is not apparent, it doesn’t mean you’re not there. It simply means that you are not involved in what’s happening.

Perhaps if your teacher had called on you, or your family had invited you to watch the movie with them; you’d be there, but that didn’t happen.

It’s the same with God. He’s a gentleman. He’s democratic, so if you don’t invite him, call out to him, cry out to him, he won’t come. Yes, the bible teaches in Matthew 5: 45, that he blesses the “just and the unjust,” but the blessings upon the lives of those who don’t have a personal relationship with God are limited, and consequently, they suffer more.

A lot of things, like the death of loved ones, for instance, could have been avoided because of a close walk with God.

It is possible to die before one’s time, you know, because God has given all of us a life span of 70 years, and 80 if we are healthy (Psalm 90:10). And in His mercies, He still allows some of us to live beyond 80.

So, God exists; he is good, but we need to forge a personal relationship with him. We are our own worst enemy. We are the problem. Not God.

I could say a lot more on this topic, but this isn’t a book. For those out there who are wondering about God, where He is and why He allows suffering, I hope this helps.