Pain and Suffering

Someone sent me this via the internet this week and I thought I would share it with my Tuesday on the Run readers.  This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering that I have seen …..

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed.
As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.
They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:
“I don’t believe that God exists.”

“Why do you say that?” asked the customer.  “Well, you just have to go out
in the street to realize that God doesn’t exist.
Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people?
Would there be abandoned children?

If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain.
I can’t imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.”
The customer thought for a moment, but didn’t respond because he didn’t
want to start an argument.
The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long,
stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.  He looked dirty and unkempt.
The customer turned back and entered the Barber shop again and he said to the barber;
“You know what?  Barbers do not exist.”
“How can you say that?” asked the surprised barber.
“I am here, and I am a barber.  And I just worked on you!”
“No!” the customer exclaimed.  “Barbers don’t exist because if they did,
there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.”

“Ah, but barbers DO exist!  That’s what happens when people do not come to me.”
“Exactly!” affirmed the customer.  “That’s the point!  God, too, DOES exist.
That’s what happens when people do not go to Him and don’t look to Him for help.
That’s why there’s so much pain and suffering in the world.

As the Psalmist reminds us, “The fool says in his heart, there is no God. (Psalm 14:1A).  It’s a lot like gravity.  I can say it doesn’t exist, but if I jump off a roof I’m going to hit the sidewalk.  God doesn’t force us to acknowledge Him, but we ignore Him at our own peril.  Not only does God exist, but He wants to have a personal relationship with each of us.  The Bible says that if you “seek Him,” “You will find him” (Matthew 7:7, Proverbs 8; 17)

Why not make today the day you start seeking.  If there’s any way we can help in that process, just let us know.

Have a great week!
Pastor Barry