God in the midst of suffering

In the wake of the quake in Haiti and all the suffering that ensued, the perennial question is raised once again,

If suffering, where is God? Does He even exist? How can He let this happen?

I know that there are a lot of answers out there and that there are a lot of valid ones. There is one though that particularly touches me and satisfies my quest for this answer. This is a really tough question and all worldviews need to answer it. I think that Christianity has the best answer. Nonetheless, I would not like to exhaustively answer this subject since it’s a blog, but give a different perspective. One of God’s promise to never leave us. I also think that it is very easy to speak about tragedy, especially as people in Haiti are suffering unspeakable things, but I think that these answers are true, and true universally.

My teacher gave a story about his 4 year old son who loves Scooby Doo cartoons. My teacher one day bought him a Scooby Doo DVD and as the son was watching it, he called his dad into the room. My teacher asked him what he wanted and the son told him that he was scared to watch this next part and wanted his dad to watch it with him. My teacher was a little surprised and told his son that he has seen a hundred Scooby Doo episodes and that the man in the alligator suit will soon be unzipped and shown. His son then turned to him and said, “I know dad, but I am still scared.”

Rewind 2000 years as Paul was writing the book of Philippians and we see a man that understands what it means to go through suffering. As he is talking about money and having things, he said that he knows what it is to have a lot and a little and that it is through God that he can endure who gives him strength. This verse is often used as a “I can do anything” type of mantra, but that is not what Paul is saying. He is saying that he is content and that through whatever he endures in life, God is next to him giving him strength to endure.

In the face of suffering in our lives and abroad, we ask where is God? We assume that God will take away every pain and hurt and suffering while we are on this earth. Though the promise is after we die, while we are on earth He promises to walk with us as we go through life, through all the suffering. Knowing that He is next to you, weeping with you, gives you strength. Like my teacher’s son who just needed his dad to be in the same room with him so he won’t be scared. Would it have mattered if his dad was in the other room while he was watching? Would it have changed the outcome of the Scooby Doo show? No. But having his dad next to him gave him strength to endure and as we take that knowledge and apply it to our lives, though we suffer, we know that God is right there in the foxhole with us. And that my friends, is where God is.

~ by sakokassabian on January 19, 2010.