Where is God in all this suffering?

I have been asked this question several times. It is hard for people to believe in a God that allows such suffering in this world, especially the suffering of little children. I must admit, I have struggled with this myself, and prayed that God would help me understand.

As a teacher, I know various learning strategies and use them when needed. The most successful teaching strategies are visual but even more than that is experiential. When you can live it, you can learn it. I have realized that God teaches in both these ways. Visual, by showing us Christ and leading by example, but also experiential within our own lives. One of the best educational experiences I have had is children. It has shown me how God loves us. It is through this I have learned where God is in the suffering we see around us.

I have two little boys. I love them with all my heart and want nothing bad to come to them. But they are individuals and independent thinkers. It would be wrong and actually cruel, for me to keep them in their room all day and make every single decision for them just to "protect" them from getting hurt. It would actually be detrimental to their development. They must go out and make their own choices in life. This began when they were born and will continue until their deaths. Sometimes their choices will hurt others and sometimes other's choices will hurt them. If they chose to throw a rock on the playground and hit another child in the head, that other child is hurt. If another child chooses to make fun of them or hit them, then my child is hurt. It is my job as a parent to discipline when needed, intervene on their behalf, comfort them when they hurt, protect them from danger and guide them through the choices they have in their lives.

This is exactly what God does with us. God gives us the ability to chose. We can chose to go towards him or away. We can chose to do good or do evil. We can chose right or we can chose wrong. God has given humanity the capacity to chose for themselves. Some people choose love, others chose hate, some chose good, others chose bad. Some chose to allow God to work in their lives, others shut Him out completely. Because of this, their is suffering and because of this there is bravery and self sacrifice. There is pride and there is humility. There is joy and sorrow.

Unfortunately, because of man's evil choices, others get hurt. Just like if another child hits my son. Where is God in that. Where is God in the suffering caused by man's choice to do harm and be completely self-serving? Where is God in Haiti? Where is God in the suffering of those children?

God is in the orphanage workers saving thousands of lives through their dedicated service. God is in the missionaries who go down there to deliver food. God is in the government where changes are happening. God is in other governments that are coming along side Haiti. God is in the families who adopt a child.

You can see this in every situation, just change the perspective. Instead of seeing the death and destruction caused by others, look around and see the compassion, the love, the generosity, the comfort and the love of others. God speaks to us through the Bible, but He also speaks loudly by how He works in and through others.

Where was God in the Armenian genocide that killed my grandfather's family?

-He was in the Turkish family who adopted him and kept him out of harms way.

Where was God in the Nazi death camps?

- He was in the military forces that overcame the evil.

Where was God in 9/11?

- He was in the thousands of people who comforted each other in their loss and gave of themselves to help in any way possible.

Where is God in the suffering of the children of Haiti?
- He is in us!