Theodicy

A question of supreme importance is whether or not God is good. Whether or not there is a God is not a biblical question. The Hebrews were empiricists, they believed what they experienced. They experienced a power who delivered them from Egypt and finally revealed himself in Jesus Christ. This experienced reality was called God. The modern problem of atheism is not ultimately a philosophical problem, but an experiential one.

Once God is experienced, the question becomes, "Is God good." For Christianity this is a serious question because the Christian faith holds that God is both good and all-powerful. As the Creed puts is, "We believe in God, the Father almighty." But if God is almighty, how can he allow suffering if he also be good? For dualist religions, or religions that see reality as ultimately ephemeral, or for atheism, it is not a religious problem. Dualists believe that the divine is both good and evil. For those who consider the visible world to be ephemeral, evil is an illusion. For the atheist, the problem of suffering has no religious dimension. For Christianity, however, it is a serious problem. And for many people its a serious matter regardless of their beliefs because they have suffered without hope or comfort.

There are a number of purely rational solutions to this dilemma. I have examined them and none are compelling. The most sensible is free will--if God had created a universe without the possibility of evil, then we would puppets devoid of freedom. This is true as far as it goes. In times of darkness, this and other rational arguments go nowhere. In fact, in the presence of those who suffer, the best response is not a rational argument, but to weep with them.

"My Lord and my God," said Thomas when he met the risen Jesus. He had placed his hand in Jesus' sides, his fingers in the print of the nails. In that moment, Thomas met God, a God who, as a man, had suffered a horrible death on the cross. In that moment he knew, we all know, that God suffers with and for us. I see no solution to the problem of evil except that God suffers with us and his suffering overcomes all suffering. When I was in hell, God did not give me a rational argument. He sent his son to be with me in hell, to suffer as I suffered. When I saw his face, all suffering vanished. It vanished by the power of his resurrection. By resurrection, Christ overcomes all suffering. For that reason he has the authority to say, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart. I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

This is not a trivial matter. Life is short, and matters such as this are of supreme importance. People need to know that God loves them, that they are not alone in their suffering. When people live without love, they do terrifying things. I am reminded of the Oklahoma bombing, or Dostoevski's The Possessed. One of the characters stated, "If there is no God, there is no law," and the whole of the novel explored the madness behind that statement. But if people catch a glimpse of a loving God, they can overcome suffering and turn all things to good. It makes all the difference in the world.

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Theodicy

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