Where is God?
The news at the moment seems to be about one disaster after another.
Storms have been in the headlines with over 200 people killed in monsoon floods in India in August, another 200 are estimated to have been killed in hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and the full impact of hurricane Maria is yet to be understood. These figures are likely to rise into the 1000s as people feel the knock-on health effects in the coming weeks and years: from infections and toxic chemicals released by the floodwaters, from stress, and even as a result of working to rebuild shattered cities (New Scientist, 18th Sept 2017).
An earthquake in Mexico City (just 12 days after an earthquake off Mexico’s southern coast) has caused
widespread damage with 230 reported dead so far. This figure will rise in the short term as more casualties are discovered and in the longer-term due to similar problems with infections, disease, etc as mentioned above.
According to some analysts the economic cost of Hurricane Irma alone could rise as high as £227bn, it is a figure so large that it‘s hard to comprehend. Of even greater cost, but impossible to measure, is the grief and emotional scars that will be carried by those who survive. These people will have to rebuild shattered lives where homes, possessions and livelihoods have all been lost.Over the years that I have been Vicar in this area I have had the privilege of walking with many people as they have struggled with personal grief, pain and loss. Whilst the suffering is on a much smaller scale, the pain is no less real and can be overwhelming for the people involved.Faced with overwhelming global or personal suffering, it is no wonder that some people cry out, “Where is God in all this?” This is a valid question… surely a loving God would protect people and stop them coming to any harm? Part of the challenge in exploring suffering is that people are trying to answer different questions. As an atheist, the question I used to ask was, ‘With all this suffering how can there be a God?’ On exploring the evidence more and coming to believe in God, then the question changed to ‘I know there is a God, so how do I make sense of the suffering I see?’ There are no easy answers to the suffering we face in the world, certainly not that I can do justice to in this short article. The Christian perspective is that God is not absent or indifferent to our plight. In the person of Jesus Christ he enters into our world, shares in our suffering, weeps with our pain and offers hope for the future.As the philosopher Peter Kreeft points out:The Christian God came to earth to deliberately put himself on the hook of human suffering. In Jesus Christ, God experienced the greatest depths of pain. Therefore, though Christianity does not provide the reason for each experience of pain, it provides deep resources for actually facing suffering with hope and courage rather than bitterness and despair.Jesus said:In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the worldJohn 16:33The message of Christianity is not about ‘pie in the sky when you die’; it is not about escaping this evil world and going to heaven where everything will be great. The message of Christianity is about God moving into our world and inviting us to work with him to help to bring light into the darkness of the pain, grief and suffering we see around us. Perhaps it is the echo of God’s invitation that stirs our hearts when we see people reaching out to help others in need. I am always encouraged by the many people in our communities that serve and care for others (locally or further afield) in so many different ways. Whatever our faith or belief, I pray that we would continue to respond to that tug on our hearts and do what we can to help others whenever we see the need.Rev Barry Jackson