This is, of course, a very complex question that has been asked many, many times especially at this moment in time when we see the suffering of the Ukrainians. Just indescribably dreadful.
How can a God of love, the God who gave us Jesus; Jesus who was the personification of God's love, of his understanding, compassion and forgiveness, allow his creation to suffer so and there are no clever answers!
I am a simple person with a very basic and simple viewpoint and the only way I can address this very important question is to make it 'personal'.
When we decide to have a family it's a big decision, a great responsibility. We have to wait a long time before that precious little being that we have created is placed in our arms. So beautiful, so perfect and so innocent. Remember that moment...when your heart overflows with such indescribable love, a love that is unconditional and absolutely never ending?
But we know, with absolute certainty, that this infant will not remain innocent or perfect; not possible. Unless of course that child has an impairment of some kind...is unable either mentally or physically to do anything but blindly obey! We all have free will. Our children, all of them, have free will. We as Gods children have free will. And with that free will comes choice...the choice between good and evil. Fortunately, most of our children will grow up, (with a few 'blips' along the way), to be normal, pleasant, kindly people.
But, if our perfect little infant grows up to be defiant, rebellious, wicked...it is still their free will! Take that away and we have automatons!
If our beloved child becomes the school bully and hurts other children...becomes a liar and a cheat... steals, fights...reaches young adulthood, and decides to join a gang...with all that entails, the fights, the bloodshed, even fatalities, the suffering of innocents...Do we cease to love them do you think? Do we take away their free will (if we could,) and turn them into mindless robots...? Despite our heartbreak, our love for the children we have created, our urge to forgive them, endures forever as does God's!
And so...we have wars, the suffering of innocents, girls sold into the sex trade, people trafficking, abused children...murder, rape, torture...I could go on for ever...
It is not our God who is allowing it, who is refusing to intervene, it is our free will, pure and simple.
It will, one day, come to an end...God WILL intervene...but that's another story!
Watch this space!
