Is God Responsible for Our Problems?

WHEN Marion’s adult daughter suffered a serious brain injury, Marion did what many of us would do. * She prayed to God for help. “I could not recall another time when I had felt so lost and alone,” says Marion. Later, her daughter’s condition took a turn for the worse, and Marion began to question God. “Why was this happening?” she asked. She could not understand how a loving and caring God could abandon her.

Marion’s experience is far from unique. Countless people throughout the world have felt abandoned by God during times of need. “I still struggle with the ‘why GOD questions,’” says Lisa following the murder of her grandson. “I have not completely lost faith in God, but it sure has changed.” Similarly, after experiencing a senseless tragedy involving her infant son, one woman said: “God gave me no comfort with what happened. He has shown me no sign or no compassion.” She added: “I will never forgive God.”

Others develop bitter feelings toward God when they look at the world around them. They see societies overwhelmed with poverty and starvation, desperate war refugees, untold numbers of children orphaned by AIDS, and millions of people wracked by other diseases. In the face of these and similar tragedies, many blame God for his seeming inaction.

The truth is, however, that God is not to blame for the problems that plague humankind. In fact, there are valid reasons to believe that God will soon undo the harm brought on the human family. We invite you to turn to the following article and see that God really does care about us.

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