Why would a God of Love Allow COVID 19?
The problem of pain and suffering is a riddle that has bothered mankind since the beginning of time. If God is so loving, then why doesn’t he eradicate all suffering? The pain of experiencing grief and separation is only possible if you were vulnerable enough to expose yourself to love. Pain is a topic which either drives you away from God or to him.
As I write this, I am experiencing pain in my knee and ribs – the consequence of another fall in the garden. Why did I fall? - Because I was hurrying to chase a squirrel from digging up our garden, burying the bird seed that he’d just stolen. I tripped and fell, damaging my body again. Do I blame God for not rescuing me from this pain? Or was it my own stupidity? I’ve had plenty of falls caused by rushing around before and I thought I’d learnt the lesson to slow down. As I lay on the grass bleeding, I realised that I hadn’t!! It would be very unfair to blame anyone else or God for this accident and my wife had warned me only the day before not to chase squirrels! I didn’t expect much sympathy!!
Why has COVID spread around our world? - Because mankind has created the perfect environment where a virus like this will spread worldwide quickly. Scientists have been predicting a world pandemic for years and it was only a matter of time before something appeared. World travel and trade exposes us to spread disease as well as the pleasure that it can bring. What are the origins of COVID? I’ve heard two theories - Man doing something unnaturally with bats or the creation of germs in a lab. Can you really blame God for the consequences of choices that mankind has made? Innocents suffer but because of the bad choices of others.
War and selfish manipulation of fellow humans is rife in our world. Mankind is extremely selfish and greedy. We want to be in control and live easy lives. Life is not fair. The strong and powerful gain control at the expense of those weaker below them. Why doesn’t God stop them? – But where do you draw the line? We are all selfish at heart and have all caused pain to others at some time in our lives. It’s fallen human nature. We may not all be Hitlers or Stalins but we are all basically selfish, capable of causing suffering to those around us. Your comfort is bought by the sweat and pain of fellow humans, less fortunate.
Of course there are situations where suffering is no one’s fault, like the baby with cancer, etc. Not all pain can be easily explained. I will not solve or answer the pain issue in a few words. But I would urge you to run to God with your pain. God became man in the form of Jesus. He didn’t live an easy life and he died a horrific death to enable you to have relationship with God. As a human, Jesus experienced things like rejection and grief, and he understands what you are going through. He wants you to cry out to him. Read all the pain expressed in the book of Psalms. Nothing surprises God and he longs to help you. Please let your pain drive you to God and not away from him.