Why Does God Allow Suffering?

Why does God Allow Suffering? This is probably the hardest question that Christians can ask or be asked. It’s a hard question because it is a difficult one to answer; it seems extremely strange that a loving God would allow some of the things that we see and live with on our planet. However, it’s also a tough question because the people who ask it are very often hurting. It’s not just a random intellectual query, a difficult question designed to trap Christians in debate. It’s a real cry from the heart from people in pain and the last thing that people in pain want are platitudes or complex theological answers.

Focus have a history of producing short, thought-provoking videos which look at complex questions. Their God: New Evidence featured leading scientists and thinkers explaining why they were Christians and setting out the evidence that convinced them that Christianity was true. However, their new series; The Biggest Question: Why Does God Allow Suffering? is rather different. It doesn’t feature theologians or Bible teachers, the short videos are all interviews with Christians who have faced tremendous suffering in their own lives; chronic illness, bereavement, a terminal diagnosis and others.

The video series is being released this week along with a study guide for groups who want to explore this issue. They will eventually be on the Focus site, but for now you can find them by following this YouTube playlist.

These videos do not shy away from the difficult questions, nor do they provide easy, sound-bite answers and that is exactly what we need. I can’t recommend these videos highly enough. Go over to YouTube and watch a few of them, the longest is only seven minutes and consider how you can share them with others.

They are very, very good.