Suffering

I become rather cross when some, preaching the Gospel, rather airily (it seems to me) dismiss the problem as the Usual questions about suffering. No reasonable person minds the fact that God allows suffering, so that love may respond to it. The problem is how much, and how apparently capriciously,  He allows it. No-one has successfully answered that. Certainly we believe in Heaven where every tear will be wiped dry. Great and wonderful, but it is not enough. Jonathan Miller, in the BBC series 2000 years of Christianity, (which was on far too late for most Christians) said ( I wish I could reproduce it exactly, but something like this) If The Creator exists and claims to love us, He should be put on trial at Nuremberg for crimes against humanity. No-one responded with the dreadful fact that He was put on trial and crucified.

They were talking about modern Cosmology and the agreed fact that the universe seems to have been designed within very very very tight margins so that we should exist. Those who do not want to draw the conclusion that God designed it go for, instead, the Anthropomorphic Principle: We are here so of course the universe is like it is. Other universes that we can know nothing about may also exist or have existed. (The tense opens up a whole lot of questions about time which cannot be pursued)

But if it does lead to God that is not enough and Miller is right. The belief in a God who rewards those who obey Him, leaves them in the lurch when they don't and encourages the destruction of the rest, as in much of the Old Testament, cannot be rationally sustained. Belief in the existence of God only makes sense when we see Him crucified in Christ. God in Christ took upon Himself the penalty for sin, not because His separate Father required it but because we needed it and continue to need it.
Here we do have to pursue the time dimension, poetically not scientifically because we cannot know about Heaven any other way. The Cross is timeless and is not expunged by the Resurrection. Christ carried His wounds into Heaven and they shall not be removed until He returns in Glory in the final victory.

As always there is a suitable Hymn

In this case written by John Bowring and first published in 1825 based on Galations 6 v14:

Crucified In the Cross of Christ I Glory, towering over the wrecks of time
All the light of sacred story gathers round its head sublime

When the woes of life o'ertake me, hopes deceive and fears annoy
never shall the Cross forsake me, Lo it glows with peace and joy

Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure by the Cross are Sanctified;
Peace is there that knows no measure,
Joys that through all time abide
.

I have recently found the complete words to a Hymn/Poem which brought great comfort to a dear friend as she faced suffering and death. And I have put them Here as a tribute to her.


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