Events in recent days have painted this question in stark relief for us, in our faces really – an ordinary plane, travelling from Europe to Asia is shot out of the sky by crazy men enmeshed in their own war – nearly 300 people are killed, their families shattered, innocent lives extinguished, many of whom had just started; unbelievable, unbearable grief.

A thousand kilometres away, unreported by the world’s fickle media, a group of fanatical religious ISIS zealots storm a town in northern Iraq and slaughter more than 300 men women and children, without question, without warning …and we could go on and on and on.

In our own lives many of us have to face the stark reality of the sudden loss of a loved one who deserved more years; or the loss of loved-ones through tragic accidents or illness. Where is God when these things happen? It is interesting in such circumstances how often atheists and agnostics momentarily declare belief in God: why, God did you allow this to happen? Where are you when we need you most?

One of the greatest barriers to faith for young people is precisely this, “how can God exist when so many horrific things happen in the world?” One of the problems is the simplistic view of God that He is some kind of Great Fixer, and that people who are committed to Him are supposed to never suffer any kind of calamity or problem.

The reality is that suffering is usually the result of the gift of freedom that is implicit in God’s created world. Instead of creating automatons who could only be obedient, God loved humanity so much He granted us the freedom of choice, and therefore the gift of love. Freedom, selfishly lived, inflicts evil on other humans – either directly or indirectly.

When it comes to tragic death God does not “take people away”, nor does God come and get people because He wants another angel in heaven. This is unhelpful sentimentalism – the truth is that God suffers with His creation – He bleeds for and with us…this is the scandal of God who suffers with us in this broken world.

If God intervened and stopped evil acts before they unfolded then freedom would cease to exist and love could not exist either. Many will choose evil and cruelty and cause immense anguish and suffering. When MH17 was struck with the missile, the Divine Heart was broken at the loss of every life, and over every tear shed since. We have a God that suffers with us – He knows our grief and pain and walks in it with us. We are not let alone in our grief. Jesus, God with us, on the Cross is the reminder for all time of this fact.

God does not exist to make us happy and safe – the truth is more challenging and surprising than this. God is deeply immersed in the reality of human suffering – we are not alone, and He offers hope – hope even beyond the limitations of this earthly life.

“There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8) – this promise is real, and it is eternal.

Rev David Williams
College Chaplain