A THOUGHT PROVOKING READ FOR THOSE WHO HATE SUFFERING AND QUESTION THE ROLE OF GOD IN A SUFFERING WORLD
Theodicy is a word that refers to the vindication of God in the light of suffering / evil. There’s been a lot of work put into vindicating God, which means we clear God of any blame. We don't think this is the correct approach. We don't think God needs us to defend him.
There’s no arguing we live in a world that includes pain, suffering and injustice. You won’t have to look far to find it. It is unlikely you would have to venture more than three blocks from your home to stumble across something that makes you uncomfortable. Then there is the internet, news on TV and so on. More profound than what we observe is the story of our own lives. We get sick, we suffer misfortune, we watch others in pain, we experience grief and loss. At these times people think to themselves, in some way; “how can there be any sort of God presiding over this mess?”
We are left to conclude that either:
1. God is all powerful but not all good. God could stop suffering but doesn’t.
2. God is all good, but has no power / influence over suffering. Therefore God is benign.
This has been the basis of many a debate. It never ends well, and neither point 1 or 2 above are very appealing. There’s a popular book by Rabbi Kushner called When Bad Things happen to Good People. It’s a good read and is one of many books / articles that struggle through the theodicy debate.
At the same time, almost all people contemplate the meaning of life questions at some point. Why are we here - how did we get here - how should we then live. Why bother? Is there any hope of life after death? Humans have a natural drive to enquire, but it is often stunted by the suffering. There is an annoying lack of hard evidence though. Then when we consider the God question, and the possibility of a creative intelligent presence, we may feel a bit let down. It seems that religion is busy vindicating God while we are busy witnessing pain and loss. We cant join those dots, and why would we want to?
We reckon that four beers, one BBQ and one deep thinker are enough to ignite a fierce debate on the matter. We say that any debate about God and suffering is understandable, is a natural expression of our curiosity, but also futile, and is asking a question that does not have an answer. That doesn't mean we shouldn’t ask it though. Why not enquire. Just don't expect a resolution.
Here’s a thought or two, like adding some 2-stroke to your webber;
Most mainline faiths that have a component of mysticism or contemplation would suggest you should maybe kill that god altogether - you know, the one that presides over suffering. “What a terrible thing to say,” some will cry. We think not. Before you can embrace the true meaning of life, you have to destroy false understandings of what God is. Just because there is no sky daddy does not mean there is no ultimate presence or meaning. This is not new information. Way back in the 11th century Gregory of Palamas wrote about God as energy and essence. The nature and the substance of God were formal debates held in the fourth century. Making God out to be an entity is a more recent phenomena in the course of history. God doesn't have to be a man, or a woman, or a rock, or any sort of definable tangible entity. God is intangible.
The destruction of false Gods leads to disillusionment. Great! To be disillusioned means to lose something that is false or untrue - an illusion. We don't want to be living a lie, do we?. So being disillusioned may be a bit painful, we get it, but it is also necessary if we are to get to the truth. That comfy old lounge chair with the silverfish in it has to go to the rubbish before you can fit a new one in your lounge room.
Practice living in the abstract. Use your right brain; sing, dance, play soul music, kiss someone (consensually is best), draw, look at art, look at the ocean or the landscape where you live. Come to appreciate its magnificence. Watch your dog run through the park and absorb the joy and excitement you see. Rearrange your priorities so you can nurture yourself and love someone else. Laugh. Undertake an act of kindness. Now name this as the activity of a God you don't understand, don't yet know - probably never will. Now you would be living in the abstract mystery. Cool bananas! Meditate and practice absorbing God.
When we are running on empty, or completely lost or defeated - these are the times when we encounter something new and real. Mainly because our ego has had a real belting, and we realise we actually know and control very little. This is often the point where humans become teachable.
One of the great things about the Christian tradition is that it says God is in solidarity with our pain, our suffering, the injustice we sometimes feel, the grief we experience. The crucifixion of Jesus is an indicative expression of a God who suffers with humanity, with you and I. Our suffering is not taken away, but shared.
We are not herein attempting to vindicate a god who presides over pain and suffering. Not at all. That is not a good thing. We are trying to be a bit more thoughtful than that. We certainly do not wish to add to suffering, and where we can, we try and diminish suffering. It would be a better world if we all did. Our faith experience is one of openness to a presence beyond our knowledge or understanding. To have any encounter with this sort of God, we must be still, open, humble. It can only come toward us if we open the gate and let it in.
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