Theodicy.

I’m not sure where the whole AI thing is going.  For the average user, is it just going to be a high-powered search engine?  Will we really use it to come up with better sourdough recipes?  Will it answer the greatest questions of the universe, like, “Why is there evil and suffering in the world?” Or, “Why does buttered toast always fall buttered-side down?”

A quick search on Amazon brought up over 30 different authors who have produced books which address the issue of life’s unfairness and being confused about God.  I recognized a few of them.  They represented a broad view of faith perspectives beyond Christianity.  In all those offerings, there was only one title I would recommend.

In very broad terms, the technical theological and philosophical category for these kinds of discussions is “theodicy.”  It comes from the words “theo” (God) and “dikē” (justice).  We can frame the question several different ways.  “If God is good, why is there evil in the world?”  Or, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”  Or, “If God is sovereign, why does He allow suffering and injustice?”  

If you think all these tensions can be resolved in a Monday Morning Minute, you’d better go pour yourself a stronger coffee.  However, maybe some of these thoughts can be a useful starting point for some personal reflection.

There are two extremes that need to be avoided while wrestling with these questions.  Neither are satisfactory.   Both are over-simplistic.  The first approach says, “Let go and let God.”  It denies the reality of the pain caused by evil.  Typically this approach sweeps the struggle under the rug with a quick (mis)quote of Romans 8:28 - “All things work together for good.”  Good Christians deny the pain, paste on a smile, and “rejoice.”

The second approach thrives on misery (after all, aren’t we just sinful, miserable worms deserving of hellfire?).  Suffering the effects of evil is the beneficial process of the “refiner’s fire” (Mal. 3:2-3; 1 Pet. 1:6-7).  Suffering is to be embraced because we should be the happiest when we are at our woefulness.  Embrace the pain;  live the pain; be the pain (and too many Christians are!).

The concept of evil and suffering is a broad one.  We could talk about the ethics of war, poverty, or genocide. For now, though, let’s make this more bite-sized and talk about the evil we experience regularly:  inequity, betrayal, disease, or false accusations against us.  How does our commitment to “live by faith” intersect with those regular life events?  

Again, this is not the definitive philosophical answer to one of life’s biggest questions.  However, here are some thoughts that may provide a starting point for wrestling with whatever pain or hurt is currently in our lives.

Caveat:  It’s not simple.
We want understanding.  We want answers.  Thus, we are willing to sacrifice the complexity of divine dynamics on the altar of human ingenuity.  Don’t do it.  Resist the temptation to assign meaning and offer explanations for God.  In the realm of human suffering and the problem of evil, the only thing we can know for sure is that God is still good and great.  WHAT is happening does not define WHO He is.  Avoid reducing life to the perceived lowest common denominator.

Case study:  The psalmist.
Most of the psalms are complaints to God because of the evil and injustices in the world.  An easy one to remember is Psalm 13 (as in Friday the 13th.).  The psalmist is blunt about the suffering and problem of evil.  It is real.  It is affecting him.  God is still present.  Dependence on God is still possible even thought our circumstances may not change.

Context:  A memory guide.
In the heat of the moment it is good to have a plan to keep our perspective on our Creator God.  Here are a few thoughts upon which we can build a context of hope (CEPE):
(1) God can be confusing (but He can still be known).
(2) Not everything can be explained (at least not yet! - that’s why we live by faith).
(3) There is always purpose (but probably unknown by us).
(4) Things are not always as they meet the eye (much of God’s acts are hidden).

Conclusion:  God often works in illogical ways (reference Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 18).  Some may suggest this is evidence of His absence.  In reality, though, if we could see behind the curtain, it is actually evidence of His engagement.  

Where is God when it hurts?  Not only is He with us (Psalm 139), the dynamics of suffering and evil are happening in HIS presence as well as in OUR lives.  He is aware.  There are no surprises.  That is the best part of this entire debate.  We needn’t use long, multi-syllable philosophical explanations to find courage and confidence in the face of evil.  Our God IS with us.

The turmoil is real.  The struggle is real.  The eternal hand of God will leave His fingerprints of grace.