Facing the Issue:
Suffering and the Problem of Evil

VICTOR'S STORY

"Why does God allow evil people to prosper and good people to suffer?" This is one of the questions that has troubled thinking people down the years. If God exists, and if He is both good and powerful, then why doesn't He display His goodness and use His power, to punish the wicked and reward the righteous? Why instead, does He appear to allow evil people to get away with their crimes and righteous people to experience all kinds of trials?

This was a dilemma that I had to face up to a number of years ago when facing a personal tragedy. On the East coast of Suffolk, we established a Christian conference and camping centre in 1975 as a result of our Christian work in the county. Well over 100,000 people, mostly young people, have stayed at Sizewell Hall since it was opened. The centre has a long history of God's generous provision and rich blessing. Many people have become Christians in that special centre overlooking the sea.

Several of us had dived into the sea and were swimming out to a sand bank. My oldest son had an asthma attack in the water, so I helped him back to the beach. At the same time Ian just disappeared in the water. I swam back to try and rescue him, but was unable to find him as the water is so murky at Sizewell. I raced back up the beach to sound the alarm.

Help came in the form of a policeman, and while we were looking out to sea, Ian was suddenly washed up on the beach in front of us. I did mouth to mouth resuscitation while the policeman did heart massage. A helicopter arrived with 2 doctors, but it was all too late, as Ian had been in the water too long. It was a shattering experience which left me feeling numb as I drove home later with my wife.

Ian was extremely fit, a hard working farmer and a keen sportsman. He used his farm for camps and barbecues for young people and was helping to start a new Christian church on a nearby housing estate. He had a lovely wife and 2 young sons. He was desperately needed, but now suddenly and mysteriously his life had abruptly ended.

A newspaper reporter arrived on our doorstep, shortly after arriving home. "You must feel God has kicked you in the teeth after all you have done for Him," was her opening comment. My response was simple; "I don't know why this has been allowed to happen, but I believe God knows and I intend to go on serving Him."

Many cards and letters of sympathy flowed in. One simply said, "When you go through a hard time like this, the best prayer book you can read is the book of Psalms. All the emotions you go through are expressed there." I came to Psalm 13 and read these words, "Why do I have all these questions in my mind and unceasing sorrow in my heart, causing my enemy to rejoice over me?" I realised then that three things were happening in sequence. i) All the questions I was asking had no human answers. ii) The more questions I asked only left me experiencing 'unceasing sorrow.' iii) The more I focussed on the questions, the more the devil defeated me. I carried on reading through the Psalm, and came to the final verses. "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me."

I immediately realised that I had a whole history of God's goodness in my life, and I determined that I would not let this one tragedy deflect me from continuing to trust and serve this faithful God, even though I did not understand why this had been allowed to happen. A week later I returned to Sizewell with my wife and knelt in the stoney sand where I had tried to revive Ian and prayed, asking God to give me the strength to go on serving Him and others in spite of this very sad event in my life. From that moment on, God began to heal the wound that had been inflicted in my life.

Many lessons have been learned as a result of that painful and traumatic day on the beach. New reservoirs of understanding and compassion have been created in my own heart towards those who experience similar circumstances. Many opportunities have arisen to support and pray with suffering people, that I would have found difficult to cope with, had I not suffered myself.

It has been well said, that "suffering either makes people bitter or better." In my case. I have no bitterness or resentment towards God. I trust that I have, with God's help, become a better and more sensitive person through it all.