The Real Question
I still have not answered the question of why there is pain in the world adequately, and I am afraid I will not ever be able to. I no longer doubt the goodness of God and hope I have faith enough to withstand the pain that may come my way, but right now I seem to only be able find comfort in the generalities. I think that if I understand the principles then when they are applied I will be able to stand my ground. Naive perhaps, but I know that without knowledge of the principles I would not be able to stand one way or the other.
Most people find a tear to be a sign of weakness. Crying is childish. My reply is, what is it then when a wise man cries? A child cries and we call it childish because of what the child is crying about. If a man cries for a noble cause, then who can call him a child? Many times love demands vulnerability. Vulnerable to rejection, to keep no secrets, to be open about who you are and who you want to become. Home sickness. Home is where the heart is. Pain is an integral part of our emotions. It can tell us a lot about ourselves.
Humans have a tendency towards a 100% death rate. Is it worth it to love? Everything we know is temporary, it will not last forever. Everyone will die, it is just a matter of when. Is it worth it? It is most worth it. Life has purpose. What you do or do not do will echo throughout eternity. It is a different mind set when instead of saying “God took him away from me” say “He went home, and some day I will follow.” For comparative to eternity with God, this life is likened to a dung heap.
That is if you believe in heaven, you may say. That is true. I believe, as the Bible teaches, that there is life after death. But even for the Atheist who does not believe in life after death, what do they have to mourn? There is no point or purpose in life or anything in it, once you die, you’re dead and your life is/was pointless along with everything/everyone in it. There is nothing after death, for when you ask a dead man what comes next, he says nothing. Nothing mourns for nothing, so what do they have to mourn about? How foolish.
Earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, volcanoes, natural disasters. If any pain is pointless, would this not be it? I would disagree, though natural disasters are the most calloused forms of pain. There is no aggressor, there is no personal choice in it, there is no reasoning with it, and many times there is no escape from it. Many a religious person has said or has been credited as saying it is a punishment, as rain could be a blessing. I say maybe, maybe not. I for one will never know why this or that natural event occurred but as far as blessing or curse, the Bible says that He [God] makes the rain fall on both the righteous and the unrighteous. The great question is, will you trust in God who has control over the earth?
Tears, mourning, a broken heart, a grave, a fading memory. Out of these stem our questions about pain, but the principles and generalities; these are not the root of your questions. Truly, we all wonder why there is such pain in the world. Why it had to be like this. Why it has to hurt so much. But the real question, the one we are really asking, the answer of which we are killing ourselves to hear is not why is there pain in the world, but why did this have to happen. Why me? Why him? Why her? Why them? Why us? Why is this hurting me so much?
Why is this pain in my life? That is the real question. And though I can tell you I am crying for your pain, I have no answer and no solace that I can write on paper for you. All I can say is there is comfort for you. There is strength in God, and there is purpose in your pain. Whether God reveals it’s purpose is unforeseen, but do you trust him? And don’t do this alone. Your pain is not meant to be bottled up inside of you. I understand sometimes aloneness can be the best thing in times of mourning, but those times do come to an end and for true healing, you cannot do it alone. You need God’s peace and comfort and you need community. Lean on the God who loves you and find someone you trust to help you walk again.
Open your heart to love again and again. It is painful. It is worth it.
Jared Williams
Most people find a tear to be a sign of weakness. Crying is childish. My reply is, what is it then when a wise man cries? A child cries and we call it childish because of what the child is crying about. If a man cries for a noble cause, then who can call him a child? Many times love demands vulnerability. Vulnerable to rejection, to keep no secrets, to be open about who you are and who you want to become. Home sickness. Home is where the heart is. Pain is an integral part of our emotions. It can tell us a lot about ourselves.
Humans have a tendency towards a 100% death rate. Is it worth it to love? Everything we know is temporary, it will not last forever. Everyone will die, it is just a matter of when. Is it worth it? It is most worth it. Life has purpose. What you do or do not do will echo throughout eternity. It is a different mind set when instead of saying “God took him away from me” say “He went home, and some day I will follow.” For comparative to eternity with God, this life is likened to a dung heap.
That is if you believe in heaven, you may say. That is true. I believe, as the Bible teaches, that there is life after death. But even for the Atheist who does not believe in life after death, what do they have to mourn? There is no point or purpose in life or anything in it, once you die, you’re dead and your life is/was pointless along with everything/everyone in it. There is nothing after death, for when you ask a dead man what comes next, he says nothing. Nothing mourns for nothing, so what do they have to mourn about? How foolish.
Earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, volcanoes, natural disasters. If any pain is pointless, would this not be it? I would disagree, though natural disasters are the most calloused forms of pain. There is no aggressor, there is no personal choice in it, there is no reasoning with it, and many times there is no escape from it. Many a religious person has said or has been credited as saying it is a punishment, as rain could be a blessing. I say maybe, maybe not. I for one will never know why this or that natural event occurred but as far as blessing or curse, the Bible says that He [God] makes the rain fall on both the righteous and the unrighteous. The great question is, will you trust in God who has control over the earth?
Tears, mourning, a broken heart, a grave, a fading memory. Out of these stem our questions about pain, but the principles and generalities; these are not the root of your questions. Truly, we all wonder why there is such pain in the world. Why it had to be like this. Why it has to hurt so much. But the real question, the one we are really asking, the answer of which we are killing ourselves to hear is not why is there pain in the world, but why did this have to happen. Why me? Why him? Why her? Why them? Why us? Why is this hurting me so much?
Why is this pain in my life? That is the real question. And though I can tell you I am crying for your pain, I have no answer and no solace that I can write on paper for you. All I can say is there is comfort for you. There is strength in God, and there is purpose in your pain. Whether God reveals it’s purpose is unforeseen, but do you trust him? And don’t do this alone. Your pain is not meant to be bottled up inside of you. I understand sometimes aloneness can be the best thing in times of mourning, but those times do come to an end and for true healing, you cannot do it alone. You need God’s peace and comfort and you need community. Lean on the God who loves you and find someone you trust to help you walk again.
Open your heart to love again and again. It is painful. It is worth it.
Jared Williams
