Why Do Bad Things Happen to [Good] People: A Reverse Appraisal

 

Have you ever heard the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Right off the bat, there is an assumption that there are good people. In relative terms perhaps this is true, but even the most stand-up guy can act inconsistently. Jesus once told a rich young ruler that nobody was good except God. Our standards are perhaps too low. So, maybe we can rephrase the question as, "Why do bad things happen to even the best of us?" We can also ask, "Why are people subject to victimization and evil?" Or, "Why is there evil??

The problem of evil is one of the biggest roadblocks for many in accepting God. If God is love and good, then experiencing evil seems inconsistent with the God we expect. But I wonder, is the disaffection for God fueled by "our" nearsighted conceptions of justice and our expectations of what a holy and loving God ought to do? 

I was recently impressed upon by a quote I read in a book by Dr. Stephen De Young that read:

Often, Christians of the present day discuss the "problem of evil." Why does a good, loving, and all-powerful God allow evil in the world? Perhaps this question itself is misguided or based on a false premise. Not only does it presume humanity is the innocent victim of evil, but also that evil is an external force from which, it is imagined, God is failing to protect us. The reality is precisely the reverse--evil enters creation as a result of humanity's collusion with evil spiritual forces. Humanity is the vehicle through which evil comes into the world, and it is most often directly inflicted by humans upon one another rather than by impersonal forces of nature. God's merciful and gracious action is why this evil does not consume the creation entirely. 

Now, I recognize the limitations of this quote. It does not address natural calamities (aka natural evil) or diseases and focuses more on inhumane treatment of people by people. Yet, sin contributes to the natural evils (think pollution or deforestation) and the material decay of flesh through age and disease. Jesus often ties illnesses and natural forces to demonic activity in the Gospels, which is why he can exorcise the storm of Mark 4:25-41 as if it were a demon.  

Nonetheless, I think it's true that we read into the equation our presumptions. There is no one alive who has not experienced pain, suffering, loss, or evil. I think of my poor wife who has had four surgeries in two years and is afflicted by other health matters quite often. I am certain she wants to raise her hands to the sky and yell, "Why me O' God?" Who hasn't had such a moment when it feels as if the world was against them? 

Here's the rub... It is more evident that it is we who are dictating how we want justice and how we think God should act, based on our myopic view that simply sees the effects of evil in the world and especially on us and those we love. We personalize it. 

My six year old has often blamed me when things don't go his way. He has said to me the most ridiculous things amidst his pain, like, "Dad, you moved my bed and I fell off it and hurt myself." I may have moved the bed, but he was the one jumping on it, leading to his fall. Are we this way too? Are we placing blame on God for being created in a fashion that we could collude with demons, as Father De Young stated? Are we blaming God for our own corporate failure as a species? Is God to just fix it, or do we need to partner with Him as we did with evil? My son could simply not jump on his bed. After all, not jumping on the bed is a known rule in our house, established to keep him safe. And if he can't, I can help him learn how. 

Look, if God is our Father, doesn't it seem logical that he functions fatherly-like within our lives in similar fashion to me and my son? To my kids, rules and time outs seem unfair. We often act is if the pains of life seem unfair too and place blame on God. Yet, I know the rules and time outs have a purpose. Does pain serve a purpose for us? Yes. If my tooth aches, it is a signal to see a dentist in remedy of my own poor dental hygiene skills. The fact that unwarranted pain and evil exist in the world, like when a parent tragically loses their kid to leukemia or gun violence, may simply be a societal tooth ache telling us to ponder a cure or craft a pathway to resolve societal ills through personal application. I don't think God wastes these opportunities, but we often ignore them, especially when we are in the midst of the pain ourselves. 

Evil has no easy answers, but it's far too easy to dismiss God when we are satisfied in our finite understanding. My advise is to reverse our appraisal of what God ought to do from our childlike perspective and consider that we are too close to the pain to see beyond it. It still remains a tough matter to mull over and nobody should be patronized for it. We should be upset by evil, pain, and suffering. It is our call to action. But when we have no answers or oomph, and all else fails, pray. 

Too simplistic? 

Sometimes that's all we can do. 

Blessings.