It is Okay to say, "I do not know." - Job and a Response to Suffering

I am certain nearly every Christian would agree the most common argument against the existence of God is the reality of suffering. It is the frequent test Christians face at some point in life if not consistently throughout it; to answer for and give detailed explanation for the reality of suffering and the reality of God.

“How? If there is a God, why is there suffering? How could there be suffering? Why would a God allow it? Why do innocent children suffer? What purpose could there be for that horrible crime? If there is a God and he is good, why do people kill in his name? Why are there bombs and guns? Why are children murdered?”

In the minds of countless people, and in our own lives, we often feel that suffering and God should be mutually exclusive realities. If there is a God, we should not suffer, and if we suffer, there must be no God. Of all the accusations and hostilities I personally have been challenged with regarding the Catholic faith, the question of suffering and the demanding of an answer for it occurs the most.

As Christians we know that God is good and has created the world good (Gen 1:31). We know that he cares immensely for us and wants us to trust in him (Matthew 6:25-27). And we know that he never leaves us, even in the midst of trials and tribulations (Matthew 28:20, John 16:33).

But for those who have left the Church, fallen away from God, or have given up on God because of the burdens and sufferings this life has brought them, these messages are not always clear, relevant or even helpful. On the contrary, those who have encountered terrible events may find some verses of scripture to be painful and even to be scorned. We are all familiar with the tale of Job and the lamentation of his very birth in the face of his afflictions (Job 3). With events current and past that appear to come from a land of nightmares (I will not state specifics, for I do not wish to offend), Job's cries may issue forth from millions and billions who walk this earth.

Although it is a tragedy, suffering becomes familiar to all at some point to greater or lesser degrees. And this reality can strike at the heart of the Christian in ways that make him or her want to give up the faith or question it.

Yet we do not give it up even though we may question it. And if others question us about their suffering and why it has come upon them, we can respond in any number of ways. We can explain it from the cores of our faith, that suffering is intimately united with the Christian life, as it was with Christ in death (Mark 8:34). We can explain that God has a purpose for our suffering and even a reason for the suffering of the person demanding an answer (John 9:3). But I firmly believe that it is okay and acceptable in the eyes of God to say to another, “I do not know.” As was exemplified by Job after God called out and challenged him to state his case before God and the mysteries of creation (Job 38-39), Job humbles himself and speaks thus,

“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.' My ears had heard you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:2-6).

In other words, after being questioned by God himself, Job replies, “I do not know.” In the face of God's divine omnipotence, his knowledge and the ineffability of his creation, Job cannot come up with an answer as to why he suffers and for what purpose he suffers. He does not know and does not understand the mystery of all God's works.

So often I have felt guilty, at a loss and even ashamed when challenged with the above questions in the face of a world and individuals who have lost loved ones and have seen the terrors of war and death. I feel overwhelmed when questioned about suffering and God and overwhelmed by the barrage of sadness on the news. But as of late, I have begun to understand and accept that I do not have all the answers and do not have to. We do not have to try so hard to come up with an explanation or provide examples for the reasons of suffering. While we can do our best as Christians to assuage the sufferings of others and help in any way we can, sometimes we must accept that we do not have the answer or know why someone is suffering the way they are and why God is allowing it. It may feel like an escape and may not help the situation, but what else can we do? Instead of trying to bend our minds to wrestle with the reality of suffering, I believe it is okay to respond, “I don't know. I cannot tell you why” in the face of the daily struggles and sufferings of life.

When it comes down to it, even as a Christian, I do not truly know why there is such suffering in the world. I know there is a reality called sin and that we humans created suffering through sin and continue to suffer because of sin. I know that God created all things good and desired for us nothing other than love and peace. But as for suffering and evil, especially when they come to innocent lives, I cannot say that I have an answer. I do not know why these things happen and so often they make no sense. The book of Job concludes with God scolding the friends of Job because they blamed Job's sufferings on himself, that he was the one at fault and deserved what had befallen him (Job 42:7-8). But God tells us that this is not the case. There are times when sufferings come to us for reasons that cannot be explained by people and have nothing to do with our individual actions.

However, it is the Christian belief that suffering, even if random and evil, has a purpose in the grand scheme of God's designs. Though we do not have to know the answer and do not have to give an answer for suffering, we know through faith that we must trust in God regardless. And this is faith. That even in the face of suffering and the cross we continue to trust in God and believe in his goodness. Even when Christ himself felt abandoned on the cross and cried out to his Father (Matthew 27:46), he continued to trust until the very end. His entire life was lived in relation to suffering and his love of the Father and his love of us.

I have not suffered greatly in my life (knock on wood). But I know that this world is enmeshed in the reality of God, suffering and love. None are exclusive of the other. Though we may not know why there is so much suffering, as Christians it is our hope and faith that God knows the reason and allows suffering to be intertwined in his loving plan of salvation. The mystery of the cross tells us this and promises us new life. God is always victorious in the end and will crush all suffering beneath his feet (Revelation 21:3-5). Though we do not know why, there is always a purpose and there is always a reason for the things that occur on this earth. God himself will show us the reasons at death. Job, who accepted he did not understand the ways of God and why he suffered, humbly repents and is rewarded greatly in the end (Job 42:10-17). It is not wrong to question our sufferings or the sufferings of the world. But like Job, we can help each other accept we do not know why we suffer and can continue to live in the faith, hope and love of God each day.