Suffering in the world has baffled Christians and Non-Christians alike. A former associate of world famous American evangelist, Billy Graham, Charles Templeton, rejected Christianity partly because of the suffering in the world. In 1996, Templeton published Farewell to God, describing how he came to his unbelief in God. He was unable to reconcile suffering with the loving God of the Bible.

Suffering in the world reminds us that the world is not perfect. The world is good, but not perfect. After God made everything including Adam and Eve he said it was good (Gen. 1:31). In addition, sin is not only personal, but has community consequences. So, some of the suffering is caused by sin. And as Romans 8:22 states, "The whole creation groans and labours with birth pangs." There are problems in the world because of sin.

Suffering also offers God an opportunity to display his power. When persons wanted to blame the sins of the parents of the blind man that he was born blind Jesus gave a reply, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed." John 9: 3. Individual cases of suffering are not always correlated to particular sins of individuals. Jesus said as much when he discussed the tragic death of 18 Jews when the tower of Siloam collapsed (Luke 13:4).

God allowed the suffering of righteous Job. In addition, the account of the rich man and Lazarus tells us that in the final judgement, God will punish evil and reward righteousness.

Furthermore, we are called to glorify God through suffering. And, in the end, God has prepared an eternal home where there will be no more suffering Rev. 21: 4.

Did You know ...

That organised Christianity has contact with approximately 3,590 different religions, but no contact with 353 religions and their approximately 500 million adherents. The three nations of over one million people in which evangelism is most cost effective are Mozambique, Ethiopia and Tanzania.<