Suffering

I received an e-mail today about a story told in church on Sunday. There is this pastor in Africa whose house was broken into by 17 Muslim men. They tied him up and forced him to watch as they raped his wife and daughters. The lady writing me was aghast that God would allow such a thing to happen.

First of all... thank God for her. She didn't just hear a story, she really cared about these ladies. And, she has the strength of character to look up to heaven and declare that God should have done something. I honor that heart.

Rather than give her some "christianized" answer about how God turned it for good and people got saved, blah, blah, blah.... I decided to answer her honestly. So, here are a few excerpts.

Even if I could give you some “answer” about how God used it for good, the suffering seems “over the top.” You are actually staring into one of the greatest questions I have about God. I have said that I struggle with agnosticism... it is because of this question of suffering.

You see, I grew up with a long white robed Jesus with perfect hair, gentle words and miracles to save us from every issue we face. The problem is, that Jesus is nothing more than an illusion created by “do gooder” Sunday School curriculum writers, and preached by preachers trying to get a dollar out of your pocket.

The fact is; Biblically, suffering is a part of our faith. Jesus got the crud beat out of him and then was crucified… that means DIED. Stephen was stoned to DEATH, James was BEHEADED, Peter & John were BEATEN, Paul was mistreated over and over again.

When faced with such questions, I could give you answers that sound spiritual, but I would like you to go to the scriptures for an answer. Start with Colossians 1:24, Philippians 1:29… I could give more, but I want you to actually THINK about what these verses say. Read the context, read a commentary, but THINK.

If you want a decent book on the subject, read “Disappointment with God” by Philip Yancey.

One final thing--And pay attention here--If you are looking for faith, you will find it. If you are looking for excuses, you will find them. So, when you are asking these tough questions, keep your heart open to God. He can bring light into the midst of the confusion and struggle. And, you will probably may find yourself growing incredibly by embracing this struggle.

I know this might not be the kind of answer you were looking for, but it is the healthy one. I believe Jesus is really, genuinely resurrected from the dead. So, my faith allows me to question, to even get mad at God.

Don't be afraid of the questions; God isn't!!!