If God....

My place of employment is Christian owned and operated, which is really nice.  We actually have a chaplain that helps alot of people and leads a bi-weekly chapel service. While not Orthodox it is still leading people in the right direction. In the hallway leading up to the lunchroom is a small library containing all Christian books, one of these caught my eye, it was called "If God is good, why is there suffering?" As i pondered this title, something occurred to me. As Christians, the statement should be "Since God is good, why is there suffering?" This is a huge difference. As Christians, we certainly believe that God is good.  This is not a question in our worldview.  If it is a question, that is a serious problem that must be addressed and answered.  The question of suffering is answered by considering man's freedom and God's nature as not a tyrant.  There is suffering because man chooses to sin and those decisions affect others.  Someone who balks at the idea of God not intervening and stopping evil needs to be asked if they want God stopping them from doing something God calls evil.  I don't suppose that they do. Do i claim to have all the answers as to why God doesn't interact with various situations to protect the innocent? Absolutely not. There are some things beyond us. What I do understand though is that we as people have the responsibility to protect the innocent, whenever and wherever we can.  it really comes down to three things: God is sovereign, God is good, and there are some things we don't understand.  As humans we have limitations to our abilities.  To argue otherwise is pride and foolishness.