It is remarkable that there were so few attempts to solve the "problem of evil" prior to the 18th century. Certainly there was no shortage of suffering and disaster. Life was nasty, brutish, and short. In Martin Luther's day the Black Death had decimated the population of Europe and still threatened. Villages and towns lived in constant dread of fires and natural disasters. Is it not curious that only when life seems to be easier do thinkers set out to "justify God"? Perhaps it is as Hannah Arendt remarks, "When man could no longer praise, they turned their greatest conceptual efforts to justifying God." But the problem of suffering should not just be rolled up with the problem of evil. Only false speaking lures us into doing that.
Good Suffering
Martin Luther suffered spiritually and physically. But he saw God's hand in the suffering and wrote: "He kills our will that his may be established in us. He subdues the flesh and its lusts that the spirit and its desires may come to life." Beyond his own experience—based, in fact, on the cross—he asserted that whoever does not know God hidden in suffering does not know God at all. If God has nothing to do with suffering, what is he involved with?
Salvation Through Suffering
Rather than knowing God in a way that would be convenient for us, the only way to know God is through suffering, the suffering of the one who saves us. Luther called this a theology of the cross—a theology that calls a spade a spade, and suffering, when it is redemptive, good. Adapted from On Being a Theologian of the Cross Copyright © 1997 by Wm. B. Eerdman's Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI. Used with permission; all rights reserved. To order this book on demand title, contact the publisher at 800.253.7521 or visit www.eerdmans.com. Reflect1. What are some attitudes and actions leaders can take to live out the truth that suffering is not always evil? 2. What are the important points in the teaching above that we would like to pass on to our congregation? What are some occasions we could use to teach this? 3. How must we change our teaching about suffering to make room for God's redemption in its midst?    Sharpen Your Shepherding EdgeIn order to lead others well, leaders need to be sure they are close to God.  Evangelism MethodsHow will you reach your community? In Search of Spiritual Community The search for connection.
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