C.S. Lewis' book, The Problem of Pain, he deals with the issue, how can there be pain in the world with a good and merciful God? Despite all the evil in the world, we must never forget that God is in control and that He does not nor has He ever created evil, but allows it to happen due to the fall. When those around us blame God for troubles and hardships, we must encourage them to realize that it is not God who tempts, but it is Satan. However, even when the devil tempts us, God gives him permission to do so and only allows as much as we can handle.
This reading stirs up many questions, such as, "Does God suffer?" What I have come to believe is that God has only endured suffering through the person of God the Son by His death on the cross. I also believe that God could not suffer the way we think of suffering because He would take off some of His focus on loving us. In addition to taking His attention off of loving us, this idea that God can suffer, implies that God is temporal and not eternal. For if something could have power to make God suffer, this would question God's own power. Evil cannot blackmail good, for it has no authority nor power to do so. God therefore cannot be subject to suffering.
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Hi! I just wanted to apologize for arguing so strongly against you in class the other day. Maybe God doesn't suffer. Your arguments make some sense. I don't agree, however, that suffering would diminish God's power. I go into a bit more detail in my blog, but basically I think that God's form of suffering would have to be a sort of self-giving, loving suffering, as a parent would suffer as a child gets into trouble.
ReplyDeleteI am looking for the writings Lewis did on how grace and redemption works in reverse as well as in the present and future. He talks of how God takes everything from our past and uses it for good. Do you know where that is? My e mail is carolesturner@yahoo.com if you know, would you mind emailing me the answer? Thanks.
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