[ME & THE BOOK OF JOB | Jonathan Strum ]
God reminds Job that He created a world where man has free will, and so does nature. In other words, we live in a world whose jungles are inhabited by ferocious and sometimes lethal wild beasts, a world populated by germs and bacteria with the ability to kill, a world in which men are free to commit evil acts, a world where no one – not even a good person – is guaranteed a happy ending.
Job's response to God's pronouncement is:
I had heard about You with my ears,
But now I see you with my eyes. (42:5)
Having experienced God, Job evolves from someone who had a theological understanding of God to someone who had encountered God. And Job's encounter with the whirlwind instantly marginalized all of his questions.
As I came to understand the book of Job,
all of my own angry questions were also marginalized
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As I came to understand the story of Job, all of my own angry questions were also marginalized. The answer to, 'Why do the innocent suffer?' is simply, 'Because, sadly, sometimes they do.' And the reason behind the answer is because God has created a world where man and nature are free to act, and with that freedom comes the unfortunate reality that both good things and bad things may occur.
I believe that Jeanne has been dealt a terrible hand in life. I believe that the ripple effects of her illness have put the two of us through some personally devestating experiences. But, even as I write this, I recognize that my angst is gone. I no longer hold God responsible for whatever suffering we may have endured, and I don't believe that Jeanne contracted her terrible illness because she somehow deserved it. Instead, I believe that tomorrow is as likely to bring into our lives something wonderful as it is to bring something terrible. Because, just as Job finally understood, that's the world we live in.