I am a Christian. I remember in junior high I prayed to accept Jesus as my savior after a pastor gave a sermon at Friday night fellowship. I believed there is a God that actively pursues us based on the positive things I saw in the world, and in my life. When I "grew up", I started seeing and questioning the negative things in the world: suffering mostly. I have never fully examined it even though it was something that always bugged me a bit. I was uncertain whether I could give a good defense to a non-Christian, other than to say that His ways are higher than our ways.
The more horrific the headlines news, the more I wondered about a more concrete answer to pain and suffering. I wasn't 100% satisfied with the reassurance that it was simply a mystery that I was not permitted to understand right now. And perhaps a part of me was secretly afraid that my search would lead me away from God if I came to a question that I could not answer.
I think it's okay to have these questions. It is ok to say both "I don't know" and "I believe." Some people are Christians because of the holy spirit and faith alone, others reason it out logically. Of late, after lots of late night discussions with my hubby (whom I really think can write a book, or at least a booklet, on the matter), I decided to confront it. Obviously I was not the first person who had these questions. There are plenty of resources out there.
I deferred "The Problem of Pain" by C.S. Lewis - a classic I know, but I find him difficult for my simple mind to digest easily. So I settled on "Making Sense Out of Suffering" by Peter Kreeft. Over the next couple of entries, I'm going to try to summarize what I've learned...so far anyway.
Don't worry, I'm still a Christian.
3 comments:
there was recently a post by Regent prof John Stackhouse Jr. (efver heard of him?) about how Christians need to have wrestled through these questions in order to be able to articulate (and for their own growth) why they believe in God and in what way. (blindly vs. 'i've thought it over')
It was a good interesting read too...
but i can't wait to read your summaries =b I love timesavers teehee
I don't know if you're looking for more possible readings... but here's one, even if you're not, "What Good Is God?" by Philip Yancey.
Just started reading it and he takes tragedy and suffering and searches for a faith that matters in the midst of those things. It's Yancey's newest book.
I appreciate Yancey because he admits to his own doubts and struggles but always in a Christ-honouring way.
@connie: no, i've not heard of him. yes, wrestling through these questions is long overdue for me.
@deb: i definitely want to read more around this subject. How does the latest book compare to his "where is god when it hurts"?
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