Where is God? Who is God? For people of faith, that may be a key question in the midst of this pandemic. Any crisis, personal or communal, can lead us to ask deep questions about our faith and about everything we believe about life. And, as we physically isolate, we might have a great deal of time to think about questions such as these. If we are facing, in addition, other challenges such as the loss of work, challenges to our finances, the death of a loved one, then we can easily begin re-evaluating everything we thought we once believed.
If we have children or teens in the house, or grandchildren, they too might be asking questions about what God is doing and wondering if God is doing anything. How do we answer their questions, when we have our own doubts, fears and questions?
The question of why there is suffering in the world is as old as human life. It is asked in every faith tradition and by people of no faith tradition. There are fourth typical answers given to this age-old question (none of which are satisfying to me and many others):
1. First, it is God’s will. God has a bigger plan than we can see.
The thing said most often about God is that God is love. I can’t put together a God who above all is love with a God who would choose to cause mass destruction, disruption and death, in wars, in the holocaust, in pandemics, or even choose suffering for individuals. Yes, I believe that God has an intention for the world, a bigger vision than we can understand, but I believe that everything God does is always rooted in love, unconditional love. I wouldn’t cause my children great fear and alarm on purpose, because I love them – and God loves us even more than I love my children (and I love them immensely). So I don’t buy this answer.
2. Suffering produces endurance and character. Ultimately, it is good for us.
Yes, I have learned things through difficult and challenging times. I could say that I have greater resilience and perhaps even more character because of what I have faced at various times. But to imagine that God causes us suffering on purpose just so we can build endurance, resilience and character makes God into a monster. The bottom line is that God is love. So I don’t go for this reasoning either.
3. We deserve it because we’ve done something wrong, either individually or humankind. God is punishing us.
No, you guessed it. I don’t accept this either. First of all, there is nothing that anyone has done that could make us deserve the suffering, upheaval and grief of this pandemic or of other past horrific events (the holocaust, the World Wars, the Bubonic plague, etc.) Yes, we make mistakes – but I absolutely don’t believe that God punishes us for those mistakes. In Jesus, God said, “I love you! I am with you!” God understands that we mess up sometimes – but God comes alongside, forgives and guides us to mending and healing. Think of the innocent people who will suffer greatly because of all of this. That isn’t God’s will.
However, it could be that things that we are doing overall as human beings are ontributing factors to this illness and other suffering. That is not God punishing us – but about us learning to live well in this world.
4. God isn’t really all powerful.
It is easy to go down this path, and from there to asking if God even exists. So here is my bottom line: I believe in God. I believe that there is an energy behind this universe that is more than we can explain. I believe that energy is love. I name that loving energy as God. I believe that this divine loving energy connects us all. We explain God in human terms, but God is so much more.
I also believe that God is more powerful than we can imagine. However, that power is not about magically changing things in the world – even the cruel and tragic events. There have been enough of those in the world that have not been changed to know that that is not how God works. Yet, I still believe that God is powerfully moving in this world – with love.
Within Judaism, they speak of the concept of Tikkun Olam. Tikkun Olam means “the repairing of the world” and the idea is that humans must work alongside God in the mending and tending of the world. We are bound to God and God is bound to us. It is not God’s “magical” intervention that will bring the end to this suffering – but the mending and tending (and research and physical isolating) that we join together to do, supported by God’s love that will bring an end to the pandemic.
My favourite scripture is from Ephesians 30:20. It says that God’s power at work within us can accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask for or imagine. God is powerful – and that power is at work within human beings for the mending and tending of this world and its people. God is with us – and we are with God. We’re in it together.
What to tell children and youth:
If children ask what God is doing about this or where God is in all of this, first of all, don’t give them a long answer. Make sure you know what they are really asking before you answer. Ask them to tell you what they think first. Then go from there.
My short answer, though, would be:
God hasn’t caused this. God doesn’t like this. God loves us. God is working with scientists, nurses, doctors and government officials to help end this pandemic. God provides wisdom. God provides love. God’s love will help us through this.
And if pushed further,
There are things I can’t explain and things I don’t understand about why this is happening. But I do understand God’s love. I feel God’s love in me and in you. When I’m feeling afraid, I turn to God’s love. That I can trust – always.
Finally, I offer you this prayer (you may know it in the form of a song from the movie “Godspell”). This is a good prayer to use each day.
O most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother,
May I know thee more clearly, Love thee more dearly, Follow thee more nearly, day by day.
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