I’ve heard once more about the on-going persecution of Christians in China. Hearing the testimony of the victims, how they were subject to the most gruelling conditions in prison, two ideas could easily come into mind of believers. One, that there is really a God whom these people serve with all their heart and whom they cannot let go even at the cost of their own life. Two, that God did not help those people escape the most heart wrenching sufferings they went through. And to this, even believers might ask the question “WHY?”.
I myself have asked many questions:
What if these Christians retract their faith in the midst of their tortures, would God be saddened by such a decision? Is God not saddened seeing them suffer that way?
On the other hand, why do Christians persist in defending their faith? Is this some legalistic concept of salvation? Is this some heroic act of defending an invincible All-Powerful God?
The understanding of such conditions depends on the premise one takes. If one takes the worldly point of view, one can’t help but think there is really no benefit gained by such Christians from their suffering and that the God they worship is either not really present, or not a loving God at all to be able to allow such inhuman treatment to be inflicted upon the ones He professes to love.
It is only by taking the premise of love that one can have some insight within the hearts of these brave men. If one sees that these people have really loved God with all their heart, as a lover does, one can understand how they have found in Him something more precious than anything else in their lives. Losing such a thing is synonymous to losing their lives and living a life apart from Him cannot even be imagined as they have become one with Him, being empty without Him, being lost, being dead.
Now as to the reason why God does not intervene in this matter (apart from spiritual Grace), there are such Laws that even God cannot break and will not break, seeing the better good that will arise out of it all.
It might be beneficial to first review what causes suffering in the world:
- sickness of imperfect body
- death of others due to imperfect body
- pain inflicted by sin of others
- pain inflicted by sin of self
In other words, suffering is caused by imperfect body and soul, by SIN that brings about death.
Now how to remedy it?
- Sickness and death eradicated thru resurrection, by way of being born into the new incorruptible body Paul mentioned in the Bible.
- Emotional pain caused by others relieved thru forgiveness and total surrender to the God.
Now, going back as to why couldn’t God intervene more
- As to remedying sin, Love cannot be forced
- As to remedying physical death, it would be a curse to give immortality to those who have not learned of love.
What might happen if He does intervene?
- God stops us from getting sick
- God stops us from dying when attacked by others
- God stops us from sinning
- God stops others from sinning against us
As a result, the world we know today will no longer be the same kind of world. Freewill shall no longer be. God would dictate everything and we succumb to the level of a slave or a robot instead of a lover who can freely respond to His love.
This world is not yet perfect. This isn’t heaven yet. Ours is a world of duality, of both light and darkness, of love and hate, of bliss and suffering, and of the many choices in between. God can surely pull out the weeds, as the Gospel says, but He will not do so for fear of pulling out even the good wheat, of the many good things this world can accomplish for our eternal soul. In patience then do we wait and in joy do we live for the moment given us here, growing in virtue and in love, shining forth what little light we can give, until the seasons of the earth are over, and the night shall be no more.
We have all asked the question, “If there is a God, why is there suffering?” But how often have we asked, “If there is no God, why are there people who still believe in Him despite all of their sufferings and pain?”