Reflections on Theodicy – by Father Charles Van Winkle, CSC
In the January 25, 2010, issue of Newsweek, Lisa Miller has an article with the subtitle, “The frustrating theology of suffering.” She states, “Now, with as many as 100,000 dead in last week’s earthquake, a sensible person of faith has to grapple with the problem of what scholars call theodicy. If God is good and intervenes in the world, then why does he make innocents suffer?’
I believe the obvious best reply is given in her quote of Rabbi Harold Kushner: “I think it’s supreme hubris to think you can read God’s mind.”
And, of course, God reminds us of this in Chapter 55 of the Book of Isaiah: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.” And from Romans 11, “How deep are the riches,and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How inscrutable his judgments, how unsearchable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor…?”
To qualify for the title of God, God must necessarily be all just, merciful and loving. God does not simply have love; as stated in 1 John 4, “God is love.” And in 2 Timothy, “If we are unfaithful he will still remain faithful, for he cannot deny himself.” The late Pope John Paul II said that God’s second name is Mercy. In the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15, the father doesn’t even wait for the son to come to him, nor does he give attention to the boy’s contrition; rather, he shows unconditional acceptance, forgiveness and love for a wayward son whose sole reason for returning was survival–to avoid starving; obviously, a very imperfect contrition.
In Genesis, Chapters 1 and 5 we are told that every person is made to the image and likeness of God. In reality, therefore, God views every person as incalculably precious and lovable; that for any one person, the Word would have become Jesus Christ and suffered and died.
The book of life has only two chapters, time and eternity. In comparison to the chapter of eternity, the length of chapter time is less than a heartbeat. And virtually every Christian believes in an eternity of what St. Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 2: “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much as dawned on man what God has prepared for those who love him.” Accordingly, in 2 Corinthians 5 St. Paul reminds us, ” … that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yet … we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord.”
Also, in John 14 Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms …. I am going to prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
Just because a person does not believe in God or the possibility of a life of eternal happiness does not make them non existent, any more than it precludes the possibility of that individual ultimately encountering God and experiencing the eternal bliss. As stated in Chapter 2 of the “Dogmatic Constitution on the Church” from the Vatican II Ecumenical Council, “Nor does divine Providence deny the help necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God, but who strive to live a good life, thanks to His grace.” This statement also acknowledges that in order to be saved through the merits of Jesus Christ it is not necessary to know of him. Accordingly, the Catholic Church teaches that a person may have a false conscience but a good conscience, and that the good conscience prevails and ultimately will enable the person to encounter the Truth, the Source of eternal happiness.
Regarding making sense out of suffering and death, Jesus did so. We know that it was his Father’s will that Jesus endure terrible suffering and death, even though he had prayed that he might not have to endure it. And even though while on the cross Jesus felt totally abandoned by his Father, Christians believe his glorious, triumphant resurrection and ascension followed.
In Luke 23, “Jesus said to all: ‘Whoever wishes to be my follower must deny his very self, take up his cross each day, and follow in my steps.’ ” The very things we complain about, our daily temptations and trials–all causes of suffering–constitute the cross. Why the cross? So we can prove our love for God as he has proved his love for you and me, and that we might become the lovers we are called to be.
Regarding proving our love, the Arabic proverb says, “The further you go into the desert, the closer you come to God.” God did not lead the Israelites through the desert to punish them; but, rather, that they might prove their love for him by being willing to follow when they did not feel like it. However, God was leading them to the Promised Land, as he is leading all of us who daily take up our cross to follow him.
In our becoming the lovers we are called to be, Rabbi Harold Kushner says, “The will of God is not to send us the disaster, but to send us the disaster to overcome.” In John 13 Jesus says, “This is how all will know you for my disciples: your love for one another.” And in describing the Last Judgment in Matthew 25, Jesus tells us that as we ministered or failed to minister to the least of humankind who were hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, homeless or in prison, we did or did not minister to him.
Finally, in the Letter to the Colossians, Chapter 1, the Holy Spirit reminds us that our suffering is meant to be redemptive: “Even now,” says the recorder, “I find my joy in the suffering I endure for you. In my own flesh I fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of his body, the church.” In other words, although God is always offering his transforming, salvific love to each of us,–often as blessings in disguise–we have to be open in faith to accept his love. Accordingly, we are meant to offer the unavoidable suffering of our daily cross for greater openness on the part of ourselves and others to accept what God, who is love, wills for us.
And so with St. Paul we are to “Give thanks always and for everything in the name of Jesus Christ to God the Father” (Ephesians 5:20). For “We know that all things work for the good of those who love God … “(Romans 8:28), the love that is shown by trusting him in every circumstance as he continues to lead us through the desert to the Promised Land.
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